UNCCD
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Saudi Arabia to
host largest-ever UN conference on land and
drought
Riyadh, 31 January
2024 – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and
the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) signed an agreement paving
the way for the 16th session of the
Convention’s Conference of the Parties (COP16) in
Riyadh from 2-13 December 2024.
The Riyadh
COP16 will be the largest-ever meeting of UNCCD’s
197 Parties, the first to be held in the Middle
East region and the largest multilateral
conference ever hosted by Saudi Arabia. 2024 also
marks the 30th anniversary of the
UNCCD, one of the three major environmental
treaties known as the Rio Conventions, alongside
climate change and biodiversity.
At the
signing ceremony in Riyadh today, Eng. Abdulrahman
Abdulmohsen AlFadley, Saudi Minister of
Environment, Water and Agriculture and COP16
President, said: “The hosting of the conference
(COP16) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reflects
the commitment of the wise leadership to
environmental protection at the national,
regional, and international levels. Additionally,
Saudi Arabia launched several groundbreaking
environmental projects, such as the Saudi Green
Initiative and the Middle East Green
Initiative.”
UNCCD Executive Secretary
Ibrahim Thiaw said: “Today, we are losing fertile
lands at an alarming rate, jeopardizing global
stability, prosperity and sustainability. The
Riyadh COP16 must mark a turning point in the way
we treat our most precious resource—land—and
collectively tackle the global drought
emergency.”
According to UNCCD data, up to
40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded,
affecting half of humanity and with dire
consequences for our climate, biodiversity and
livelihoods. If current trends continue, restoring
1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 will be
necessary to achieve a land-degradation-neutral
world.
Droughts are hitting more often and
harder all over the world—up by 29 per cent since
2000—driven by climate change but also the way we
manage our land. One-quarter of the world’s
population is already affected by droughts, with
every three out of four people around the world
projected to face water scarcity by
2050.
The Riyadh COP16 will focus on
mobilizing governments, businesses and communities
worldwide to accelerate action on land restoration
and drought resilience as a cornerstone of food,
water and energy security.
The two-week
event will feature a high-level segment, as well
as associated events including the Gender Caucus
and the Business for Land Forum.
Taking place
in the most water-scarce region and one that is
severely affected by desertification and land
degradation, the Riyadh COP16 will showcase
efforts underway in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East
region and beyond towards a green transition based
on sustainable land
stewardship.
—ENDS—
For more
information, please contact:
Wael A
Bushah, Managing Director, Environmental Awareness
and Capabilities Enhancement, Ministry of
Environment, Water and Agriculture, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, Wbu...@mewa.gov.sa
Xenya
Scanlon, Chief, Communications, External Relations
and Partnerships, UNCCD, xsca...@unccd.int
UNCCD
Press Office, pr...@unccd.int,
+49 228 815 2820, https://www.unccd.int/,
@unccd
#UNited4Land #COP16Riyadh
#UNCCDCOP16
About
UNCCD
The United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global
vision and voice for land. We unite governments,
scientists, policymakers, private sector and
communities around a shared vision and global
action to restore and manage the world’s land for
the sustainability of humanity and the planet.
Much more than an international treaty signed by
197 parties, UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to
mitigating today’s impacts of land degradation and
advancing tomorrow’s land stewardship in order to
provide food, water, shelter and economic
opportunity to all people in an equitable and
inclusive manner.
