UNITED NATIONS JOURNAL United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties 17–28 August 2026 UNCCD Monday, 17 August 2026 Content last updated on: 15 Jul 2026 13:15 CEST
Programme of Meetings and Agenda Conference of the Parties 9:30 - 10:00 am Opening Ceremony Opening of the session by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its sixteenth session (closed meeting) 10 - 1 pm COP 1st meeting Organizational matters Election of the President Statement by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its seventeenth session Statement on behalf of the host country Statement by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Statements by the representatives of the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other intergovernmental organizations Statements by the representatives of regional and interest groups Statement by a representative of non-governmental organizations Adoption of the agenda (ICCD/COP(17)/1) Election of officers other than the President: Election of Vice-Presidents Accreditation of intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations and representatives from the private sector, and admission of observers (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.6) Organization of work, including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies (closed meeting) 3 - 6 pm COP 2nd meeting Formal statements (closed meeting) Committee of the Whole 3 - 6 pm COW 1st meeting Programme and budget Programme and budget for the biennium 2027–2028 (ICCD/COP(17)/7, ICCD/COP(17)/INF.1, ICCD/COP(17)/12) Financial performance for the Convention trust funds (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.3) Report on the status of contributions to the Convention trust funds (2025–2026) (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.7) Report of the Evaluation Office (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.2, ICCD/COP(17)/12) Final report of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework of the Convention (ICCD/CRIC(23)/4 and Add.1, ICCD/COP(17)/2, ICCD/COP(17)/12) Policy frameworks and thematic issues: Drought (ICCD/COP(17)/11, ICCD/COP(16)/24/Add.1,ICCD/COP(17)/12) (closed meeting) Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention 3 - 6 pm CRIC 1st meeting Organizational matters Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (ICCD/CRIC(24)/1) Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels Multi-year workplan for Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(17)/12 and ICCD/COP(17)/INF.1) Performance of Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.4) 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) (closed meeting) Forthcoming official meetings Tuesday, 18 August 2026 Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention 10 - 1 pm CRIC 2nd meeting Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels Development and promotion of activities for targeted capacity-building to further the implementation of the Convention Interactive dialogue (ICCD/CRIC(24)/3 and ICCD/CRIC(24)/5) (closed meeting) 3 - 6 pm CRIC 3rd meeting Securing of additional investments and relations with financial mechanisms Report by the Global Environment Facility on the financing of programmes and projects concerning desertification, land degradation and drought (ICCD/CRIC(24)/INF.1) Report by the Global Mechanism on progress made in the mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Convention, matters relating to Sustainable Development Goal 15.3, and the facilitation of involvement of the private sector Interactive dialogue (ICCD/CRIC(24)/2 and ICCD/CRIC(24)/5) (closed meeting) Committee on Science and Technology 10 - 1 pm CST 1st meeting Organizational matters Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/1) Interfacing science and policy, and sharing knowledge Synthesis report on supplementary technical guidance to support aridity and drought planning and adaptation across the Rio conventions and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/2, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8) Interactive dialogue Knowledge sharing, technology transfer and innovation (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/3, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8) (closed meeting) 3 - 6 pm CST 2nd meeting Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the biennium 2025–2026 Synthesis report of the activities of the Science- Policy Interface (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/6, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8) Synthesis report on the third edition of the Global Land Outlook (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/INF.1, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8) Interactive dialogue (closed meeting)

UNITED NATIONS

JOURNAL

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties
17–28 August 2026

UNCCD

Monday, 17 August 2026

Content last updated on: 15 Jul 2026 13:15 CEST

Programme of Meetings and Agenda

Conference of the Parties

9:30 - 10:00 am

Opening Ceremony

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

(closed meeting)

10 - 1 pm

COP 1st meeting

Organizational matters
- Election of the President

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

Statement on behalf of the host country

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

Statements by the representatives of the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other intergovernmental organizations

Statements by the representatives of regional and interest groups

Statement by a representative of non-governmental organizations

Adoption of the agenda (ICCD/COP(17)/1)
Election of officers other than the President: Election of Vice-Presidents
Accreditation of intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations and representatives from the private sector, and admission of observers (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.6)
Organization of work, including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies

(closed meeting)

3 - 6 pm

COP 2nd meeting

Formal statements

(closed meeting)

Committee of the Whole

3 - 6 pm

COW 1st meeting

Programme and budget
- Programme and budget for the biennium 2027–2028
  (ICCD/COP(17)/7, ICCD/COP(17)/INF.1, ICCD/COP(17)/12)
- Financial performance for the Convention trust funds
  (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.3)
- Report on the status of contributions to the Convention trust funds (2025–2026)
  (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.7)
- Report of the Evaluation Office
  (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.2, ICCD/COP(17)/12)
- Final report of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework of the Convention
  (ICCD/CRIC(23)/4 and Add.1, ICCD/COP(17)/2, ICCD/COP(17)/12)
Policy frameworks and thematic issues:
- Drought
  (ICCD/COP(17)/11, ICCD/COP(16)/24/Add.1,ICCD/COP(17)/12)

(closed meeting)

Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention

3 - 6 pm

CRIC 1st meeting

Organizational matters

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

Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels

Multi-year workplan for Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(17)/12 and ICCD/COP(17)/INF.1)
Performance of Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(17)/INF.4)
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)

(closed meeting)

Forthcoming official meetings

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention

10 - 1 pm

CRIC 2nd meeting

Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels
- Development and promotion of activities for targeted capacity-building to further the implementation of the Convention
  Interactive dialogue
  (ICCD/CRIC(24)/3 and ICCD/CRIC(24)/5)

(closed meeting)

3 - 6 pm

CRIC 3rd meeting

Securing of additional investments and relations with financial mechanisms
- Report by the Global Environment Facility on the financing of programmes and projects concerning desertification, land degradation and drought
  (ICCD/CRIC(24)/INF.1)
- Report by the Global Mechanism on progress made in the mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Convention, matters relating to Sustainable Development Goal 15.3, and the facilitation of involvement of the private sector
  Interactive dialogue
  (ICCD/CRIC(24)/2 and ICCD/CRIC(24)/5)

(closed meeting)

Committee on Science and Technology

10 - 1 pm

CST 1st meeting

Organizational matters
- Adoption of the agenda and organization of work
  (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/1)
Interfacing science and policy, and sharing knowledge
- Synthesis report on supplementary technical guidance to support aridity and drought planning and adaptation across the Rio conventions and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
  (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/2, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8)
  Interactive dialogue
- Knowledge sharing, technology transfer and innovation
  (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/3, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8)

(closed meeting)

3 - 6 pm

CST 2nd meeting

Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the biennium 2025–2026
- Synthesis report of the activities of the Science- Policy Interface
  (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/6, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8)
- Synthesis report on the third edition of the Global Land Outlook
  (ICCD/COP(17)/CST/INF.1, ICCD/COP(17)/CST/8)
  Interactive dialogue

(closed meeting)