Media

The accreditation procedure and requirements for journalists and representatives of media organizations differ from those for other participants. Accredited media representatives are invited to attend and report on CRIC23 and associated events.

On-site registration will take place at the Accreditation and Registration Centre at the Panama Convention Center (Calle General Juan D. Perón, Amador, Panama City) during official registration hours.

When registering, journalists must provide:

• One recent passport-sized photograph
• A valid press card
• A copy of the national passport (picture and signature pages) for foreign journalists, or national identity card for local applicants
• A letter of introduction on official letterhead from the bureau chief, media house or publisher
• Freelance journalists: a letter from the media organization assigning them to cover the conference

These conditions apply to both local and foreign applicants.

Journalists who register online will be able to collect their badges at the Panama Convention Center upon presentation of:

• A valid press card
• An identity document

A dedicated press and media working space will be available at the conference venue.

Media resources

Daily highlights of CRIC23 will be provided by the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin

• Side events information
• Visual assets: CRIC23 and UNCCD Data Dashboard

Press briefings during CRIC23: 12:00–13:00 (local time)

• 1 December– Opening press conference 
  Opening of CRIC23 with focus on the key expectations for the meeting and the launch of the Panama Nature Pledge on land, climate and biodiversity
  Speakers: UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad and Minister of Environment of Panama Juan Carlos Navarro
• 2 December – Launch of Brief on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
  A new brief highlighting land and drought impacts and action in SIDS around the world, as the planet continues to warm.
  Speakers: UNCCD and representatives from the Caribbean and the Pacific
• 3 December – Gender Caucus will showcase how Indigenous women advance sustainable land management and governance by drawing on traditional knowledge and scientific innovation to inform CRIC23 recommendations
• 4 December – Launch of report on the Economics of Rangelands 
  Presentation of a landmark report on rangelands — vital for food security and climate stability but rapidly degrading despite covering 56 per cent of global land
  Speakers: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UNCCD Chief Scientist Barron Orr and regional experts
  December will also see the launch of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), a milestone in the lead up to COP17 in Mongolia in August 2026.
• 5 December – Closing press release (World Soil Day)
  Issued following the CRIC23 closing plenary and coinciding with World Soil Day. It will provide an overview of CRIC23 outcomes and their significance in the lead-up to UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia (August 2026)

3 December – Media visit to the Panama Canal with UNCCD ES and the Environment Minister to meet farmers from the Canal Watershed and discuss their sustainable agricultural practices economically incentivized by the Panama Canal Authority to improve rural livelihoods and advance Land Degradation Neutrality goals.

Additional information

• Regulations on visa applications and bringing reporting equipment into Panama: Travel requirements – Tourism Panama
• Additional media updates on the Convention and CRIC23 will be posted here: UNCCD CRIC23 webpage

Media inquiries (accreditation or coverage): press [at] unccd.int