7 December: People's Day

People’s Day at UNCCD COP16 highlights the essential role of non-state actors—youth, women, local governments, farmers and civil society organizations —in addressing desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD). The UNCCD people-centered approach recognizes the impact of community-driven initiatives in achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). 

With 3.2 billion people globally affected by land degradation, People’s Day will offer a platform for non-state actors to share initiatives and ideas that shape COP16 discussions and support the Convention’s goals. The  key events of the day: Gender Caucus, Youth Forum and Indigenous Peoples Platform aim to facilitate collaboration between governmental and non-governmental actors, empowering communities to build sustainable futures through innovative solutions.

Event focus

1. Empowering youth leadership: Highlights youth-driven projects in land restoration and climate action, featuring initiatives like the Youth Caucus and Land Heroes campaign, which amplify the contributions of young leaders.
2. Advancing gender equality in land management: Promotes the UNCCD Gender Action Plan to ensure women’s full participation in land decisions. The Gender Caucus will discuss progress and strategies to enhance women’s roles in sustainable land use.
3. Urban-rural partnerships for sustainable land: Focuses on local government efforts like the Mayors 4 Land initiative, promoting urban-rural collaboration for sustainable land management and restoration.

Objectives

• Awareness raising and information sharing: Showcase success stories and best practices from non-state actors, engaging governments in enriched dialogue to support COP16 negotiations.
• Mayors 4 Land: Highlight sustainable urban-rural initiatives, promoting practices like green belts and urban agriculture, and fostering partnerships with local governments.
• Action for land empowerment: Foster cross-sector collaboration to achieve LDN through awareness, capacity building and land restoration, involving youth, women, local governments and other key stakeholders.

By elevating non-state actors’ voices, People’s Day at COP16 aims to inspire inclusive, sustainable solutions that empower communities and advance global land restoration efforts.