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Excellencies, friends.

We depend on land for our survival. Yet we treat it like dirt.

Unsustainable farming is eroding soil 100 times faster than natural process can restore them.

And up to 40% of our planet's land is now degraded:

Imperiling food production;

Threatening biodiversity;

And compounding the climate crisis.

This hits women and girls the hardest.

They suffer disproportionately from the lack of food, water scarcity, and forced migration that result from our mistreatment of land.

Yet they have the least control.

In many countries laws and practices block women and girls from owning land.

But where they do, they restore and protect it: increasing productivity; building resilience to drought and investing in health, education and nutrition.

Equal land rights both protect land and advance gender equality.

That is why this Desertification and Drought Day puts the focus on "her land, her rights".

I urge all governments to eliminate legal barriers to women owning land, and to involve them in policymaking.

Support women and girls to play their part in protecting our most precious resource.

And together, let's stop land degradation by 2030.

Thank you.

*** Excellencies, dear friends.

The earth is precious to us to survive; Yet we treat it as if it is worthless.

Unsustainable agricultural practices are damaging our land at a rate 100 times faster than it takes to regenerate naturally.

The planet now has 40% of degraded land:

which endangers food production,

threatens biodiversity,

and worsening the climate crisis.

Women and girls are hardest hit,

Who suffer disproportionately from lack of food, water scarcity and forced migration caused by our disastrous treatment of the land.

And yet, they have the least power.

In many countries, laws and practices prevent them from owning land.

But in the places where they have access to property, women and girls restore and protect the land: they increase yields, make it more resilient to drought, and invest in health, education and nutrition.

By ensuring equality in land rights, we protect land and advance gender equality.

That is why this year's World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought has as its theme: "Land of Women. Women's rights".

I urge all governments to break down legal barriers that prevent women from owning land and to integrate land into policy-making processes.

Let us ensure that women and girls can participate in protecting our most precious resource.

And together, let's end land degradation by 2030.

Thank you.