JOURNAL

Monday, 24 August 2026 

4th meeting 

High-level segment: Ministerial dialogues [item 6]

Ministerial dialogue on innovative financial mechanisms for healthy land and drought resilience

His Excellency Togmidyn Dorjkhand, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, made opening remarks. 

Opening remarks were also made by Her Excellency Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Ms. Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

The dialogue was moderated by Ms. Lukwesa Burak. 

Commitments were made by the following speakers: Mr. Scott Morris (Asian Development Bank (FIELD/GIRAF)), Mr. Anthony Nyong (African Development Bank (Zambezi and Southern Africa Great Green Wall)), Ms. Grethel Aguilar (International Union for the Conservation of Nature (Global EbA Fund)), Her Excellency Martine Schommer (Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (DRIF commitment and Foundation)), Ms. María Jesús Rodríguez de Sancho (Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Kingdom of  Spain (IDRA)), Mr. Johann Saathoff (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (Compensactions Phase 2)) and Her Excellency Ina Marčiulionytė (Delegation of the European Union to Mongolia (Thrivelands)). 

Presentations were made by the following panellists: His Excellency João Paulo Capobianco (Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Brazil), His Excellency Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha (Deputy Minister for Environment of Saudi Arabia), Her Excellency Bernice Swarts (Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa), Mr. Liming Zhang (Vice-Administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China), Mr. Guangzhe Chen (Vice-President  for Planet of the World Bank Group), Ms. Gelsomina Vigliotti (Vice-President of the European Investment Bank) and Ms. Gim Huay Neo (Managing Director of the World Economic Forum). 

Statements were made by the representatives of Uzbekistan, the Russian Federation, India, Côte d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Botswana, the State of Palestine, Bhutan, Tajikistan, Madagascar, Chad, Bangladesh, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Maldives, Solomon Islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uganda, Senegal, Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Marshall Islands, Kenya, Nigeria, Eswatini, Tuvalu, the United Republic of Tanzania, Mali and Sierra Leone. 

His Excellency Togmidyn Dorjkhand, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, made a statement.

The meeting was adjourned. 

5th meeting 

Ministerial dialogue on innovative financial mechanisms for healthy land and drought resilience

continued

Statements were made by the representatives of Azerbaijan, Uruguay, Mauritania, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Czechia, Indonesia, Ireland, Lao Peoples’s Democratic Republic, Timor-Leste, Türkiye, Burundi, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, the Dominican Republic, Belarus, Ecuador, Burkina Faso, Iraq, Thailand, Zambia, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Nepal, Sudan, Algeria, Togo, Israel, Guatemala, Mexico, Oman, Guinea, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan and France. 

Statements were made by the representatives of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel, the Indigenous Peoples Caucus, the United Nations Development Programme, the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development, the Pastoralist Goals Foundation and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. 

The meeting was adjourned. 

• Country Parties to the Convention, accredited Observer organizations by the COP (UN and Specialized Agencies, Intergovernmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, Business and Industry Entities), Parliamentarians, Mayor, Side Event participants and Media may register to attend the sessions of UNCCD.
• The registration link for COP 17 can be found here.
• In order to facilitate verification of requests for registration at the conference, all participants are required to upload a copy of their national passport and an official nomination letter confirming their capacity to attend the session.
• Participants are also required to upload a standard passport photo to accelerate on-site registration and badge collection.
• Please be reminded that multiple registrations for the conference are not permitted (e. g. registration as a Country Party and/or an observer organization and/or media representative). Only one registration with the corresponding conference badge can be issued to an individual at any given time.
   

Conference badge collection

• Conference badge is only issued to duly registered and approved participants.
• Upon first arrival to the venue, participants are requested to proceed to the registration desk and present their passport (or nationally approved photo identification card) for badge issuance.
• Participants with valid conference badges can directly access the venue through the security and badge control, where their badges will be scanned. There is no need to stop by the registration desk unless there are any registration or badge issues.
• Participants are requested to always wear their issued conference badges in order to gain access to the conference centre.
• Kindly be aware that misuse of conference badge at all UNCCD conferences is prohibited and may lead to permanent suspension of your registration.

Registration desk opening hours

Any changes to the opening hours of the registration desk will be communicated in the Official Journal of the session.

Delegations are advised to contact Ms. Aphrodite Smagadi (+976 99204285) in Office no. 0-15.

• The provisional list of registered participants attending the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) can be viewed here.
• The list has been generated based on the information entered directly into the Indico registration system by each participant and has been prepared based on the information received by the secretariat as of Thursday, 20 August 2026.
• Each delegation is requested to send corrections via e-mail to eespiritu [at] unccd.int (eespiritu[at]unccd[dot]int) by Thursday, 27 August 2026, at the latest.
• The official document containing the final list of participants will be issued after the closure of the sessions. It will consider any additional information received by the secretariat prior to its issuance.

Funding for eligible participants continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the DSA office in building C.

Delegates are kindly reminded to bring their boarding passes and passports.  

Need support with UNCCD national reporting or the PRAIS reporting platform?

The PRAIS Reporting Helpdesk is available throughout COP 17 in Zone C (connecting corridor next to the DSA Office).

Support is provided daily between 09:00 and 18:00.

Delegates and reporting teams are welcome to visit the Helpdesk for technical assistance and guidance related to reporting requirements and the use of PRAIS.

Inclusion Is Protection 

The United Nations maintains a strict policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) — a commitment that applies equally to persons with disabilities, who can face heightened risk and greater barriers to reporting. 

Every staff member, volunteer, and partner shares responsibility for creating accessible, safe, and respectful spaces for everyone we serve.

Stop, Prevent, Protect 

• STOP – Zero tolerance for inaction on reports of SEA 
• PREVENT – Training and accessible awareness for all personnel 
• PROTECT – Confidential, survivor-centred support with no retaliation

The UNCCD Conference App is an easy tool for participants of official UNCCD events to have access to the latest schedule of events at COP17, including official sessions and meetings, as well as side events in the Blue Zone.

The App also contains all official documents and other relevant information related to the UNCCD process and conference logistics, for COP, CST and CRIC, and allows you to receive notifications on changes. 

The App is available in Apple and Google Play store. 

Medical services will be provided throughout the event by qualified healthcare professionals, ensuring that assistance is readily available. The Medical Care Centers are  located in the (1) Registration Area , in (2) Zone A, near MET-10; and in (3) ZONE C near MET-16.

Emergency Response:

• Immediate Action: Medical vehicles will be stationed on-site to ensure a rapid response in case of emergencies.

• Coordination with Local Services: Collaboration with local emergency teams will be ensured to manage serious medical situations effectively.

• Health and Safety Standards: All procedures will adhere to the most current guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health authorities.

• Ambulance Placement: Ambulances will be strategically located at key areas, including the Blue Zone and VIP sections, to ensure quick access to medical care.

You can find a list of Emergency Contact Numbers HERE. 

Ulaanbaatar Emergency number is 105 (reachable without a SIM card). 

Delegations are advised that wireless internet access is available throughout the venue. The network name is UNCCD-Public, and the password is unccd1706

A Computer Center is located in Area-C, providing 100 workstations and printing facilities. An ICT Helpdesk counter is also available in the same area to assist with technical support.

A link to the stream of the meetings of the COP 17 session can be found on the UN Web TV website, the COP 17 page of the UNCCD website.

Requests for inclusion in the schedule of meetings of regional and interest groups should be communicated to:

Kayhan UI ( kul [at] unccd.int (kul[at]unccd[dot]int) ) or Mahamadou Tari Bako (mbako [at] unccd.int (mbako[at]unccd[dot]int) ).

Several shuttle buses are being offered by the Government of Mongolia. The full schedule can be accessed here:

https://unccdcop17.org/

The Lost and Found service is located near the Registration area, offering convenient access near the Main Entrance.