UNITED NATIONS

JOURNAL

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties
17–28 August 2026
UNCCD
Saturday, 15 August 2026
Content last updated on: 14 Aug 2026 17:55 CEST

Programme of Meetings and Agenda

Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention

1 pm - 3 pm
MET-19

CRIC Bureau

(closed meeting)

Committee on Science and Technology

1 pm - 3 pm
MET-18

CST Bureau

(closed meeting)

Regional consultations

The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
9 am - 5 pm
MET-10

Meeting of the Regional Implementation Annex for Latin America and the Caribbean (Annex III) (GRULAC)

(closed meeting)
10 am - 6 pm
MET-08

Meeting of the Regional Implementation Annex for Africa (Annex I)

(closed meeting)
10 am - 6 pm
MET-09

Meeting of the Regional Implementation Annex for Asia (Annex II)

(closed meeting)
12 pm - 6 pm
MET-25

Meeting of the Regional Implementation Annex for Central and Eastern Europe (Annex V)

(closed meeting)

Other meetings

The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
9 - 1 pm
MET-20

Women’s Delegates Training

(closed meeting)
2 - 3 pm
MET-11

COP17 Town Hall Meeting

(closed meeting)

Forthcoming official meetings

Monday, 17 August 2026

Conference of the Parties

9 - 10 am
Plenary Hall

COP 17 Opening ceremony

10 - 1 pm
Plenary Hall

COP 1st meeting

Opening of the session by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its sixteenth session 

 

Organizational matters [item 1]

 

(a)  Election of the President 

 

Statement by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session 

 

Statement by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 

 

Statements by the representatives of regional and interest groups 

 

Statement by a representative of non-governmental organizations

 

 

Organizational matters [item 1]

 

(b)  Adoption of the agenda (ICCD/COP(17)/1/Rev.1)

 

(c)  Election of officers other than the President: 

       (i)  Election of Vice-Presidents

 

(e)  Accreditation of intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations and representatives from the private sector, and admission of observers (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.6)

 

(f)  Organization of work, including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies

 

3 - 6 pm
MET-08

COP 2nd meeting

Formal statements

 

Formal statements session

Final list of speakers

 

Cook Islands (on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States): View statement

Turkmenistan (on behalf of UNCCD Interregional group Central Asia-Russia): View statement

Canada: View statement

France: View statement

Chile: View statement

Ukraine: View statement

Brazil: View statement

Indonesia: View statement

Egypt: View statement

Australia: View statement

Republic of Moldova: View statement

Suriname: View statement

Italy: View statement

Sri Lanka: View statement

Iraq: View statement

Kenya: View statement

Russian Federation: View statement

Bangladesh: View statement

Algeria: View statement

Armenia: View statement

Syrian Arab Republic: View statement

Mexico: View statement

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: View statement

United States: View statement

Guyana: View statement

Peru: View statement

Pakistan: View statement

Sudan

Lesotho: View statement

Nigeria

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Azerbaijan: View statement

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): View statement

Food and Agriculture Organization: View statement

International Fund for Agricultural Development: View statement

 

Committee of the Whole

3 - 6 pm
Plenary Hall

COW 1st meeting

Programme and budget for the biennium 2027–2028 [item 7]

  • Programme and budget for the biennium 2027–2028
    (ICCD/COP(17)/7, ICCD/COP(17)/INF.1, ICCD/COP(17)/12)

 

     Introduction and discussion

 

  • Financial performance for the Convention trust funds
    (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.3)

 

     Introduction and discussion

 

  • Report on the status of contributions to the Convention trust funds (2025–2026)
    (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.7)

 

     Introduction and discussion

 

  • Report of the Evaluation Office
    (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.2, ICCD/COP(17)/12)

 

     Introduction and discussion

 

Final report of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework of the Convention (Item 3)
(ICCD/CRIC(23)/4 and Add.1, ICCD/COP(17)/2, ICCD/COP(17)/12)

 

     Introduction and discussion

 

Policy frameworks and thematic issues (Item 5)

  • Drought
    (ICCD/COP(17)/11, ICCD/COP(16)/24/Add.1,ICCD/COP(17)/12)

 

     Introduction and discussion

Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention

3 - 6 pm
Main Committee Room

CRIC 1st meeting

Organizational matters (Item 1)

 

(a) Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (ICCD/CRIC(24)/1/Rev.1) 

 

 

Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels (Item 2)

 

(a) Review of the report of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention on its twenty-third session (ICCD/CRIC(23)/8 and ICCD/CRIC(24)/5)

 

     Introduction and discussion

 

(b) Multi-year workplan for Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(17)/12 and ICCD/COP(17)/7)

 

     Introduction and discussion

 

(c) Performance of Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.4)

 

     Introduction and discussion