JOURNAL

Tuesday, 25 August 2026 

6th meeting 

High-level segment: Ministerial dialogues [item 6]

Ministerial Dialogue on Drought Resilience

His Excellency Nomtoibayar Nyamtaishir, 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. 

Mr. James Famiglietti, Professor at the University of Arizona, delivered the keynote address. 

The two panel discussions were moderated by Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

Presentations were made during the first panel discussion by the following panellists: His Excellency Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment of Saudi Arabia; Her Excellency Barbara Pompili, Ambassador for the Environment of France; Her Excellency Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates; Her Excellency Martine Schommer, Special Envoy for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg; His Excellency Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt; and Ms. María Jesús Rodríguez de Sancho, Director-General of Biodiversity, Forest and Desertification of Spain. 

Presentations were made during the second panel discussion by the following panellists: His Excellency Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Development of the African Union; Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme; Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Ms. Åsa Regnér, Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; and Ms. Valerie Hickey,  Director for Environment at the World Bank Group. 

Statements were made by the representatives of Namibia, Senegal, Bhutan, Tunisia, Eswatini, Angola, Sri Lanka, Cameroon, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Solomon Islands, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Madagascar and Uganda. 

The meeting was adjourned. 

7th meeting 

Ministerial Dialogue on Drought Resilience

continued

The Conference continued the second Ministerial dialogue of its seventeenth session. 

Statements were made by the representatives of India, Cote d’Ivoire, Botswana, the State of Palestine, Chad, Bangladesh, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Maldives, Tuvalu, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Mali, China, Montenegro, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Azerbaijan, Uruguay, Mauritania, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, the Philippines, Czechia, Indonesia, Ecuador, Timor-Leste, Türkiye, Burundi, the Russian Federation, Pakistan, South Africa, Kyrgyzstan, Chile, Algeria, Togo, Hungary, Mexico, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Korea, Portugal, Italy, Guatemala, Kiribati, Iraq, Panama, Zambia, the European Union, Nepal, Viet Nam, Guinea, Yemen and Kuwait. 

Statements were made by the representatives of the te Food and Agriculture Organization, the Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development on behalf of civil society organizations, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Water Management Institute, the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. 

The meeting was adjourned.

8th meeting

Second open dialogue session on “Civil society contributions on pastoralism, rangelands and financing for healthy land” 

The Conference held the second open dialogue with civil society representatives of its seventeenth session, focusing on drought resilience, territories and water.

The Presidency made introductory remarks.

The dialogue was moderated by Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, who made a statement.

A presentation was made by Mr. Byambasuren Pürevdagva  (Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar).

A keynote statement was made by Mr. Paul Hallett (British Society of Soil Science).

Presentations were made by the following panellists: Mr. Gustavo Sánchez (Red Mexicana de Organizaciones Campesinas Forestales); Mr. Innocent Antoine Houedji (Youth Initiative for Land in Africa); Mr. Mohammed Alzuhairi (AlMortaqa Foundation for Development); Ms. Marie Bouysse (Coalition Eau); Ms. Cécile Ndjebet (Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests); Ms. Irish Baguilat (Asian Farmers Association); and Mr. Patrice Burger (Centre d’actions et de réalisations internationales).

Statements were made by the European Union, Brazil (also on behalf of a Brazil, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Uruguay), Panama and Australia, as well as the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Statements were also made by the representatives of the National Environmental Youth Council, the Indigenous Peoples Caucus and Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN).

The panellists responded to comments made and questions posed from the floor.

A statement was made by Brazil.

A statement was also made by the Indigenous Peoples Caucus.

The panellists responded to comments made and questions posed from the floor.

The UNCCD Goodwill Ambassador Baaba Maal made a statement.

The moderator made concluding remarks.

The Presidency made a statement.

The meeting was adjourned.

6th meeting 

Procedural matters: Programme of work for the twenty-fifth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention [item 5] 

The Committee began its consideration of the item. 

A representative of the UNCCD secretariat made a statement. 

A statement was made by the representative of Brazil. 

The representative of the UNCCD secretariat responded to the comments made from the floor. 

The Committee concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 5. 

• 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.