Statements

Allocution d’ouverture de M. Ibrahim Thiaw, Secrétaire exécutif de la CNULD: Mesdames et Messieurs les Ministres en charge de l’Environnement et de la lutte contre la désertification des pays membres de l’Initiative de la Grande Muraille Verte Monsieur le Secrétaire exécutif de l’Agence Panafricaine de la Grande muraille verte  Mesdames et Messieurs, La vie, dit-on, ne tient qu’à un fil. Au Sahel comme dans d’autres contrées arides, la vie tient essentiellement à deux ficelles: une couche de sols aussi fine que fragile ; et une pluviométrie saisonnière et aléatoire. Lorsque les deux ficelles adoptent des vibrations synchrones, la pluviométrie est abondante. L’économie et le bien-être humain s’en portent bien. Malheureusement, les cycles se perturbent de plus en plus fréquemment. A chaque fois que les courbes des deux ficelles deviennent asynchrones. Le climat devient plus aléatoire. Le capital naturel se rétrécit, alors que les demandes augmentent avec l’accroissement démographique et le grossissement d’une classe moyenne au mode de consommation plus gourmand en ressources. Les équilibres naturels sont rompus, entraînant des compétitions plus accrues, voire des conflits, pour l’accès à des resources de plus en plus limitées. C’est dans ce contexte que germait l’idée de mettre en place un programme ambitieux, à même de restaurer les terres dégradées et d’atténuer les effets de la sécheresse. Les leaders des onze africains concernés ne se font guère d’illusion : la tâche est immense. Le cheminement complexe. La réalisation coûteuse. Mais elle est la meilleure alternative, car l’inaction mènerait à une impasse abyssale. Les leçons tirées du bilan des dix premières années sont édifiantes: les techniques de restauration des terres sont bien maîtrisées. Les technologies usitées sont généralement appropriées. Mais il faut passer à l’échelle et adopter une approche plus intégrée, plus inclusive. La Grande Muraille Verte (GMV) du Sahel est symbolisée par plusieurs types de plantations. La Grande Muraille Verte, c’est planter de l’espoir pour des millions de jeunes; c’est planter le développement pour des communautés rurales dynamiques, qui ne demandent qu’à sécuriser leur production ; c’est planter de l’énergie renouvelable utile à créer des opportunités d’entreprenariat et des emplois verts, notamment en milieu rural. La Grande Muraille Verte c’est bien entendu transformer des terres dégradées, pour les rendre de nouveau productives. La Grande Muraille Verte, c’est une vision. C’est cette belle ambition de renverser une spirale négative en propulsant la vie de centaines de millions de personnes vers plus de prospérité. De paix. De sécurité. Mesdames et messieurs, Notre dernière rencontre date d’il y a déjà un an, lorsque nous nous étions réunis pour la sortie de rapport sur l’ «Etat d’avancement de la Grande muraille verte et ses perspectives à l’orée 2030» et de la conférence ministérielle associée à cette publication. Cette réunion avait permis, à la fois, de faire le bilan des dernières activités et de lancer un appel auprès de l’ensemble des partenaires de la Grande Muraille Verte pour un renforcement et une meilleure cohérence de leurs interventions. Excellences, Mesdames, Messieurs C’est avec une grande satisfaction que je constate que cet appel a été entendu et que la Grande Muraille Verte occupe désormais la place prioritaire qui lui incombe, dans l’agenda politique international. Je citerais en particulier le One Planet Summit, tenue en janvier dernier à Paris, où plusieurs annonces concrètes ont été faites, donnant ainsi un souffle nouveau à ce vaste programme pan-africain. Un groupe initial de 9 institutions publiques de financement ont convenu d’investir plus de 16 milliards d’Euros d’ici 2025 sur la grande Muraille verte autour d’une vision bâtie sur 5 piliers d’action. Il convient également de mobiliser des acteurs du secteur privé -dont certains ont un intérêt certain- pour une valorisation de l’énorme potentiel de la région. Au titre des opportunités, citons l’exemple de l’agro-écologie. En effet les pratiques agro-écologiques ont été identifiées comme des solutions à encourager. Solution Fondée sur la Nature, l’agro-écologie a l’avantage d’assurer la production agricole et  pastorale, tout en assurant la conservation des écosystèmes- fertilité des sols et biodiversité, conservation des eaux. L’agro-écologie crée des emplois et favorise l’économie locale. Les techniques et technologies utilisées sont économiquement accessibles et bien maîtrisées par les communautés rurales.    Il faut en outre noter avec satisfaction que la Grande Muraille Verte est spécifiquement mentionnée dans le Communiqué du récent Sommet du G7 tenu au Royaume-Uni. Pour sa part, le G20, sans expressément citer la GMV a adopté l’Initiative pour la restauration des terres visant à réduire de moitié la quantité de terres dégradées dans le monde, d’ici 2040. L’Afrique, notamment la Grande Muraille Verte doit avoir sa place pleine et entière dans une telle initiative. Afin d’assurer une meilleure coordination des efforts nationaux, régionaux et internationaux, les pays de la Grande Muraille Verte voudront peut-être réévaluer et renforcer leurs mécanismes de coordination au niveau national, ainsi que l’agence régionale. Leur donner des mandats renforcés et un cadre plus élargi, à même de jouer ce rôle essentiel de redevabilité et de suivi-évaluation, impulser une dynamique de coopération et de mobilisation des communautés, des élus locaux et des instances parlementaires appropriées. Le Secrétariat de la Convention des Nations-Unies sur la Lutte contre la Désertification, souhaitant poursuivre sa contribution à cet effort de mobilisation des partenaires internationaux, a mis en place «l’Accélérateur de la GMV ». Il s’agit d’une réponse limitée dans le temps, visant à catalyser une meilleure conjugaison des efforts des partenaires et offrant un cadre structuré et rationnel pour favoriser les nouveaux investissements et donner un nouvel élan à la mise en œuvre de la Grande Muraille verte. L’accélérateur de la GMV est un mécanisme transitoire qui, à moyen terme, devrait être reversé à l’Agence Pan-Africaine renforcée aux plans institutionnel et structurel. La mission principale de l’Accélérateur est de contribuer à ce renforcement institutionnel, en travaillant en toute intelligence avec l’agence panafricaine, en impliquant les partenaires ainsi que les équipes nationales. L’une des toutes premières priorités identifiées est la conception d’un cadre de redevabilité commun aux partenaires GMV qui permettra d’avoir un système de suivi d’avancement des projets et des investissements ainsi et des progrès réalisés dans les 11 pays. Des réformes structurelles et un renforcement des capacités humaines semblent nécessaires, au niveau de l’Agence régionale. Le Conseil des Ministres -et le Sommet des Chefs d’Etat- sont des instances idoines pour adopter une batterie de mesures et donner des directives claires au Secrétariat. Des ajustements institutionnels semblent également nécessaires au niveau des structures de coordinations nationales, afin de refléter la nouvelle nature, beaucoup plus inclusive de la GMV. Je me félicite du fait que certains pays ont déjà commencé à procéder à ces ajustements, nécessaires pour une bonne mobilisation des ressources tant nationales qu’internationales. Je me félicite également de la forte mobilisation de plusieurs Agences des Nations Unies, du GEF, du GCF et des organisations régionales telle le CILSS, la CEDEAO, l’OSS et l’IGADD. Mutualiser les priorités et les programmes, de tous les partenaires, et ce, dans onze pays, demande beaucoup d’efforts de concertations, de communications, des synergies et des partages d’expériences. La tâche est immense, pour une équipe plutôt réduite et pas suffisamment outillée. Mesdames, Messieurs La tenue de ces instances est une belle opportunité de réaffirmer la nouvelle approche de l’initiative de la Grande Muraille Verte, à savoir un programme de développement rural intégrant les composantes environnementale, économique et social. La Grande Muraille Verte, dans sa nouvelle approche, doit ainsi s’intégrer aux programmes de relance et aux plans de développement post-COVID. A ce titre, les gouvernements, au-delà des départements sectoriels chargés de l’environnement, doivent lui accorder une place de choix, y compris pour les arbitrages budgétaires. Il est ainsi souhaitable de promouvoir la Grande Muraille Verte auprès de l’ensemble des institutions nationales concernées, afin que les financements et les appuis des partenaires au financement puissent rapidement se concrétiser en action sur le terrain. Mesdames et messieurs, Pendant très longtemps, le discours sur le Sahel a été teinté de connotations et d’insinuations négatives. Certes, le Sahel est traversé par de nombreux défis. Cependant, ces difficultés ne doivent en aucune manière occulter les multiples opportunités de la région.  Persuadé que la bande Sahélienne a une autre histoire à partager, je reste en outre convaincu que la Grande Muraille Verte constitue une référence de choix pour le changement de narratif sur le Sahel. Les opportunités internationales pour le manifester ne manqueront pas au cours des prochains mois. Des conférences à venir, y compris la COP 15 de UNCCD prévue en mai 2022 en Côte d’Ivoire, la conférence Climat et celle de la Biodiversité. Au fil du temps, votre initiative se consolidera, se raffermira et s’affirmera comme l’une des plus belles et des plus ambitieuses œuvre humaine. Conduite à terme, l’initiative de la GMV sera la plus grande réalisation humaine construite sur terre. Voilà pourquoi certains n’hésitent pas à la qualifier de nouvelle merveille du monde. Nos statisticiens estiment que d’ici la fin du siècle courant, la population des onze pays membres de la GMV dépassera le milliard d’individus. Faisons en sorte que les deux ficelles tiennent, nourrissent et entretiennent la vie de tous, dans un milieu écologique équilibré. C’est en vérité, l’enjeu de la Grande Muraille Verte. Je vous remercie.

I welcome the G20 Environment Communiqué adopted yesterday in Naples, Italy. The Communiqué shows the desire of many world leaders to build societies that are not merely climate change resilient but that live in harmony with nature. World leaders are listening.

Speech by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw: First, I wish to express my deep gratitude to you, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, and to Costa Rica, for hosting the global manifestations of the 2021 Desertification and Drought Day. This year, COVID-19 has given our global celebrations a different taste. The pandemic has reminded us how much we depend on nature. And how much we depend on each other. How much we should care about nature, as the destruction of natural habitats can affect our health. Our wealth. Land is one the most precious asset there is. As humans, we live on land. Land feeds us. Land provides us with the water we drink. Whether rich or poor, we share the same aspirations : healthy food ; clean air, clean water ; and a decent life. As the world battles with the pandemic and its severe consequences on our economy, some people may wonder why we care about land! Why is it a priority, amid all the challenges the world is facing? Actually, land is part of the solution. Which is why the theme of this year’s Desertification and Drought Day is: Restoration. Land. Recovery. Think about the millions of farmers, indigenous peoples, and small holders whose only asset is land. For them, land loss means economic loss. A loss of their capital. A loss of their life as they have always known it. A dislocation of their society and their way of life. In the Latin America and the Caribbean region, and indeed in Costa Rica, as is the case elsewhere in the world, land degradation causes economic losses, impacting food security and the livelihoods of millions. These are losses Latin America, and The Caribbean can ill afford, as one-third of the population lives in poverty and about one in six people live in extreme poverty. Land degradation has multiple other consequences, including: Forced migration. Be it in the Sahel, in Haiti, in the Central American dry corridor, or in Afghanistan. What is left to a young person to do, when they can no longer feed their family from their land? They flee. Land degradation is a direct cause of conflicts: competition over access to scarce land and water. Hardly a day passes without media reporting new casualties or incidents. Mainly between farmers and transhumant pastoralists. In Africa, in the Middle East. Or in Central Asia… It is known: land degradation exacerbates food insecurity. In some regions of the world, direct and indirect links have been established between land loss and terrorism as well as all sorts of trafficking. Furthermore, with climate change, scientists record more frequent and more severe droughts. When droughts strike, most farmers and pastoralists lose their livelihoods. National economies are severely affected. In many countries, the primary sector plays such an important role that years of drought generally correspond to years of economic downturn. Compounded with the loss of biodiversity, which affects productivity and the resilience of communities… It is a vicious cycle. The good news, yes there is good news. It is not all doom and gloom. Yes, we have tools to avert further damage. Yes, we can reverse these losses and lift people out of poverty. Costa Rica is one the countries that has applied these tools. Successfully so. Which is one of the reasons why we are excited that you offered to host the global celebrations of the Desertification and Drought Day. More than 1500 technologies have been successfully tried and tested from around the world. So, technically, we know how to restore degraded land. Though, unfortunately, we still have to overcome some institutional barriers. Here again, I want to use the example of Costa Rica. The first country to create a commission for the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. This commission unites government, civil society, and academia in the fight against land degradation. It is a step in the right direction. Friends, Allow me to share some insights from the latest research from the UNCCD. Indeed, protecting and restoring nature can help drive a green recovery while preventing future epidemics or pandemics. Investing in nature-based solutions, specifically land restoration, can allow us to build forward better a greener, healthier, stronger and a more sustainable world. Restoring land will accelerate progress in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Through the creation of millions of green jobs. Through food security. Women empowerment. Climate action. Vibrant biodiversity. Water conservation. Human health. Therefore, building on the high-level dialogue organised just a couple of days ago under the aegis of the President of the UN General Assembly, the message of this forum, should be clear. We need concerted and collaborative efforts to regenerate our natural capital, transform our food systems, and rethink our infrastructure and cities. Work with nature, not against Nature. Listening to the millions of voices from around the world, leaders must build ambition towards land stewardship, as we move into the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. Already, 127 countries have committed to targets and measures to restore the land. In total, one billion hectares of land are targeted with restoration commitments. That is the size of Canada. This is a strong start. But to deliver, and increase ambition, we need to get the financing right – starting with the post-pandemic stimulus packages. In that respect, we appreciate the Global Initiative on Land Restoration adopted by the G20, aiming at halving the amount of degraded land by 2040. The Great Green Wall of the Africa’s Sahel is a good example of regional cooperation, with 11 countries across Africa joining forces to restore land. Similar initiatives exist in Latin America, in The Middle East and elsewhere. So, there is momentum. People are starting to understand that investing in land-based solutions to sustain post-pandemic recovery efforts is a smart economic decision. Indeed, every dollar spent on ecosystem restoration generates up to thirty dollars to the economy.   With all its hardship, the pandemic has given us an opportunity to rethink about our future. An opportunity to secure a future of healthier people and nature, secure livelihoods and greater equality and opportunity for all. There are still major barriers. But we have the tools to succeed. Though, as we all know, tools are only useful when they are used aptly, with determination and a strategic vision. We must pick up our tools and use them to build the future we want to leave to the next generations. This, dear friends, is our collective task. Thank you.

Speech by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw:  Thank you to Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, for her opening remarks. Thank you for putting together this special report on drought. My take from the report is that we must act now to prevent future droughts from destroying development gains. As we speak, at least one million people are facing starvation because of drought. At least 24 countries are hit by drought in 2021 only. From 1998 to 2017, droughts have affected at least 1.5 billion people, and led to economic losses of USD 124 billion across the globe . Within the next 80 years, 129 countries will experience an increase in drought exposure. Droughts are growing due to climate change and other human-driven factors. When I say 1.7 billion people are already faced with water stress, you may take it as statistics. But beyond these numbers, we have human beings that are suffering. I personally witnessed the effects of drought. So for me, this is not theory. I am not reading statistics. I did not watch it on Television. Droughts destroy life. They have the ability to demolish social fabric.   You see with your very eyes.  You watch and seer your assets vanishing. Live. This affects you for the rest of your life. It has on you the effect of a Permanent Marker. It’s Indelible. This is why I am happy to say that Parties to the UNCCD take droughts very seriously. At the last COP, they established an Inter-Governmental Working Group on Drought. Discussions are ongoing. Helping prepare negotiations at COP 15 next year. Is it by coincidence that in most countries, years of drought are listed as years of economic downturn? Most countries have their economies essentially dependent on the Primary Sector. Which means they depend on a thin layer of soil and a few millimeters of rain. When the rain does not come on time and in good quantity, the water stress induces a major disruption. When at the same time the soil is degraded, the crisis can turn into a catastrophe. This is why, the threats caused by droughts should unite us. We need to join forces, to mitigate the effects. On people. On nature. On the economy. We don’t have to wait until the disruption turns into a disaster,  before we respond. Emergency measures are more costly to deploy. Less efficient as more often than not, they arrive late, despite heroic efforts by rescue teams. Dear friends, No country is immune to drought. Rich or poor. Yes, the impacts of drought hit the poorest countries hardest. But high-income countries are also feeling the impacts – as we have seen in the United States. We must deal with drought, using every tool we can. So what are these tools? As the theme of today’s Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is Restoration, Land, Recovery, let us start there. Trillions of dollars are put into pandemic recovery. Meanwhile, restoration commitments covering almost one billion hectares are in place as we head out on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This presents us with a chance to build back better with healthy land. Land restoration is simple, inexpensive and accessible to all. It removes carbon from the atmosphere, slowing the climate change that drives droughts. It helps vulnerable communities adapt to droughts by, for example, increasing water storage. It increases agricultural production. All of this would reduce the estimated 700 million people at risk of being displaced by drought and land degradation, by 2030. Restoration is not enough, however. We need to protect and manage the land, through sustainable consumption and production. On the agriculture side, this means sustainable and efficient management techniques that grow more food with less land and water. On the consumption side, this means changing our relationships with food and clothing. We must also understand that drought is complex, with a range of causes and impacts. These should not be considered in isolation. We need coordination, communication and cooperation. With proactive national drought policies and a joined-up approach to managing natural resources, we can mitigate the effects of drought.   Some 66 countries are participating in the UNCCD’s global drought initiative. This initiative supports Parties to shift from a reactive approach to drought to a proactive and risk-based approach. We are attacking the problem from many other angles – from addressing gender concerns to strengthening land tenure. Friends, we must all act now to ensure that droughts do not set humanity back on its great endeavour to build a sustainable future. I urge you all to implement the findings in this report. Existing tools and resources may not be enough. But they can get us far, if we make a better use of the existing tools: Early Warning- Preparedness- Response.  We will be more much more efficient if we develop and implement integrated plans.   Working together, we can ensure that the people of drought-hit regions have the chance of a better life. Thank you.

Remarks by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: Co-Chairs, Council members, Colleagues, and friends First, allow me to wish you a Happy Anniversary. As our instrument turns 30, let us celebrate its great achievements. Celebrate above all thirty years of cooperation. Thirty years of working together in tackling the most pressing global environmental issues. Our evaluation offices have always done a good job in appreciating the effectiveness of our projects and programmes. But more than just a funding mechanism, the Global Environmental Facility turns out to also be a knowledge hub. A science advisor. A rallying point where different constituencies, big and small meet, exchange views; get the latest information about successful and less successful environmental projects and programmes. The GEF did not solve all problems. It could not. But over the last 30 years, across generations of projects, we have made remarkable progress, though much remains to be done. In fact, the environmental crisis is not subsiding. Quite the contrary. We are at a moment of great challenge for the health of the people and the planet. Rates of climate change along with land and other environmental degradation and loss and not slowing down.  We are far from delivering on our commitments to conserve, sustainably manage and restore the land and its terrestrial ecosystems. But we are also at a moment of promise. The promise of land and nature is finally being recognized. There is a better understanding of the potential of land to help stabilize and then build forward better. People appreciate the idea of putting the natural world at the heart of our plans. This demand has now been made quite visible in the streets. More and more visible in voting ballots. As we know, change takes time. I personally think the time has come for humanity to turn the tide. As we are about to replenish the Facility, I invite the GEF community to embrace this momentum. To embrace the promise of land and nature to deliver multiple benefits to the people and to the planet. And then deliver on that promise with the right level of ambition and with the right level of resources. Just two days ago, the President of the UN General Assembly convened a High-level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought. The session was attended by Heads of State and Government, Ministers, scientists, civil society representatives. And by the UN leadership at large. The sense of ambition on the stewardship of land is palpable. There was a strong push for land restoration. Restoring degraded lands is an immediate and concrete climate action. It reduces emissions and removes carbon from the atmosphere. Restored lands, by serving as carbon sinks, contribute to detoxifying the oceans, thus reducing their acidification. Restoring degraded land helps vulnerable communities adapt to climate change by reducing the impacts of drought, flood, and other climate-related shocks. Keeping the land and soil healthy is one of the best ways to prevent biodiversity loss both on land and at sea. For leaders and decision makers focusing now on the post pandemic economic recovery, land restoration also makes economic sense. Closing the productivity gap on land could boost agricultural production. At a time of great need this would be boosting food security, job creation, empowering women and advancing rural development. Investing in land is a smart and effective choice for quick and positive impact. Ten years after the GEF Council opened a focal area on land degradation, I trust you are seeing land as an integrator of many other focal areas. This is why, in my opinion, the synergies agenda should be the new normal in GEF 8 programming. We cannot continue to work in silos. With this in mind, in a changing climate with more droughts and floods expected, additional measures will be needed to address the growing phenomenon of drought. I followed closely the deliberations of the last Council and interventions on drought. I support the idea expressed by some Council members calling on the GEF to be more assertive and attentive to the ravages that droughts are causing to the planet, to societies and to the economies of affected countries. During the upcoming cycle, the GEF community should consider investing in early-warning systems, preparedness, vulnerability, and risk assessment as well as drought risk mitigation. Co-Chairs, Parties are asking for more resources to be allocated to fighting land degradation. In many ways, this makes sense. Not only from the environmental point of view. But also economically and politically. In the Decade of Action on SDGs and the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.  In a way, there has never been a more important time to invest in restoring degraded lands. Restoring degraded land means feeding a growing population; reducing unwanted migration. Averting conflicts over access to scarce land and water. While protecting nature. Please count on the UNCCD to play its part in the replenishment of the GEF. We stand ready to contribute in any way we can to help the world fulfil its multiple promises to protect people and the planet in a prosperous and equitable world. Thank you.

Humanity is totally dependent on the natural world and the land we live on. We have transformed nearly three quarters of the Earth’s ice-free land to meet our demands for food, raw materials, and homes. It is not sustainable. We are putting our land under enormous pressure

Statement by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: Land sustains life on the planet.   Land provides us with food, clean water, and energy.  Healthy land is the basis for our own health. Yet, one in five hectares of land is no longer usable.  Land degradation is affecting 40% of the world’s population and costing more than 10% of the annual global GDP. As I speak, at least one million people are facing starvation because of drought.  At least 24 countries are hit by drought in 2021 only.  From 1998 to 2017, droughts have affected at least 1.5 billion people, and led to economic losses of USD 124 billion across the globe.  Land-based solutions provide us with an opportunity to recover better.  Build a more inclusive and sustainable world.  Using the Sustainable Development Agenda  and the Paris Agreement as our blueprint.  Land restoration has co-benefits with all Sustainable Development Goals and must be at the centre of our efforts, providing cost-effective solutions for green recovery at scale.   Today’s Dialogue has been a pivotal moment.  Our next steps should take us to the right direction. From what we heard today from Member States, from the UN leadership and various other stakeholders, we are in a position to capture key points expressed and make the following call:   First, building ambition on land stewardship among different stakeholders as we move into the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.  I believe the general thread from this UNGA Dialogue supports multiple regional large-scale restoration programmes.  The Dialogue underscores the need to adapt our production and consumption patterns if we are to insulate our economies and our societies from further catastrophic degradation of our natural capital.  The Dialogue comforts the G20 Global Initiative to reduce degraded land by 50 percent by 2040. And points to the direction of the recent G7 Summit.  Second,  investing in land-based solutions to sustain COVID-19 recovery efforts, especially in rural economies, as they are win-wins for stimulus investment.  Land restoration is low tech, democratic, accessible to all.  Land restoration is one of the cheapest solutions to the climate crisis and is a foundation for a steady post-COVID economic recovery.  Third, helping us get the financing right to scale up land restoration and translate those commitments into concrete, immediate action.  Investing in land restoration secures food production; combats poverty; reduces risks of unwanted migration and insecurity.  Investing in ecosystem restoration is securing sustainable economic recovery, as at least 40% of the global GDP depends on nature. Land restoration is not divisive. It can unite us. Rich and poor. North and South. Governments and Civil Society. Public and Private Sector.  Our youth and women are at the front lines of action. We ought to work together: reconnecting people and nature through a high-level ambition on land stewardship.  For the sake of the planet. For our own sake.    We have a window of opportunity to champion a new restoration narrative and bring back nature into balance for all.  Both now and for the generations to come.  That’s Making Peace with Nature.  Thank you.

Statement by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: Excellency Mr. President of the General Assembly, Excellency Mr. Prime Minister of India, COP. 14 President, Excellency Mr. President of the Economic and Social Council, Excellency Ms. Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations,  Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Association of Fulani Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad. Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives, Ladies and gentlemen,  Let me first thank the President of the UN General Assembly for convening this historic meeting, a milestone in the life of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.  This is the second time the UN General Assembly has dedicated a full day to the issue of desertification, land degradation and drought, a phenomenon that is affecting more than 3 billion people in the world.  In the insightful remarks of our previous speakers, you heard why it is so important to increase global ambition to protect, manage and restore the land. You heard that pandemic recovery packages and this year’s planned climate and biodiversity summit are powerful tools to promote healthy land. You have heard that the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is another major opportunity. I will not re-tread the same ground. Instead, let me give you some insights from recent UNCCD research on how we can use these opportunities to build better forward with land-centred solutions. Put simply, a land-centred approach to COVID-19 recovery can change the world. For around USD 2.7 trillion per year, within the scope of recovery spending, we could transform the world’s economies. Through restoring natural ecosystems. Through rewarding agriculture that keeps soils healthy. Through incentivizing business models that prioritize renewable, recyclable or biodegradable products and services. Within a decade, the global economy could create close to 400 million new green jobs, generating over USD 10 trillion in annual business value.  All of this, while delivering the benefits to nature, the climate and human health that my esteemed UN colleagues covered. To do this, we need coherence, alignment and cooperation in three areas of policy response. The first area is jobs. Taking advantage of quick-start initiatives and shovel-ready projects will create jobs that will help jumpstart recovery efforts.  Creating permanent work in protected areas management, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, green infrastructure and ecosystem restoration would create many more stable, decent jobs – especially for youth and women. These are the kind of jobs that will take us forwards, not backwards. The second area is finance. To spend in the right places, we need coherent policies. We can repurpose subsidies, investments and other financial mechanisms to reward communities for protecting and regenerating natural capital. Governments can make land restoration attractive to private investors through regulations and incentives.  Green business solutions include public-private partnerships and innovative finance mechanisms such as private equity, bankable nature solutions, debt swaps and blended finance. The third area is governance and cooperation. Strengthening land tenure and rights would quickly create new green jobs through value addition, economies of scale and greater market access. Meanwhile, research has shown that areas managed by indigenous peoples and local communities have encountered less environmental damage. We must empower them. At the same time, we must strengthen international governance and cooperation. We need to integrate land degradation neutrality initiatives and drought plans into international processes such as the Paris Agreement and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. We need global partnerships that allow us to share best practices, cutting-edge technologies and innovative business models. We need a new social contract that engages all sections of society to mobilize collective action on the land. Excellencies, the land cannot solve all of humanity’s problems. We still need to fully decarbonize our economies, rethink how we produce and consume resources and so much more.  But if we protect, manage and restore the land, the benefits will be immense. We will accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 economic crisis. Reduce the risk of future pandemics. Slow climate change and protect biodiversity. Free millions of people from poverty and hunger.  Help to create a world of peace, prosperity and equity. You hold the power to make these benefits a reality. I urge you to begin using it, starting today. Thank you.  

Remarks by the Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw on UNCCD Commitment on drylands in Africa and the Sahel: To speak about land is to speak about life in all its complexity.  Whether wet, dry, or severely degraded, the land is humanity’s common treasure that we must protect. So, allow me to debunk five myths about drylands: Drylands are not productive lands: Untrue! Drylands specifically provide us with unique products and produces: cereals, animal feed; non-timber products. Almost 3 billion people live in drylands, including hundreds of millions of pastoralists. Half of the world rangelands are found in drylands, including the largest terrestrial mammals and the tourism economy they generate. The fashion industry would not survive without cotton from drylands. The world is just about to discover the nutritional and health values of fonio, shea butter, cosmetic products and other great varieties produced in drylands. Drylands are not rich in biodiversity and have little to offer to resolve the climate crisis: from the largest terrestrial herbivores found in the magnificent savannahs of Africa, to the tiniest micro-organisms found in the large diversity of drylands habitats (ponds; savannah, oases; rivers; wetlands). The large open spaces of drylands are major carbon sinks. Their management and restoration provide unique mitigation and adaptation opportunities. Drylands do not contribute much to the economy. In most drylands, people have land as their only asset. In Africa, up to 70% of the population depend on the primary sector, including in drylands that represent up to 45% of the land mass. Agriculture, livestock, inland fisheries, tourism revenues. Think about the Okavango, the Masai Mara, Kruger, Zakouma, Waza, Comoe, to name just a few? Be it in Namibia, in Malawi or in Mali, millions of people depend on drylands. Who can explain why the mighty rivers of the Nile, the Niger, the Zambezi, or the Senegal have to flow through arid lands? As you know, the vast Sahara desert is sitting atop of the largest aquifers of Africa. Paradoxically, the drylands of Africa are granaries for hundreds of millions. Without its drylands, Africa would not be Africa. Africa is blessed with its drylands. Drylands are waste lands; they are not worth investing in. Today, drylands harbour major extractive companies: from oil production in the Middle East, to mineral extraction in dry Africa and Australia. The world is amazed by the clean energy potential found in drylands. Expect the shift from fossil fuel to hydrogen and other types of clean energy to be spearheaded in dry regions. Furthermore, with the progressive change of diet in the world, drylands are sources of healthy products on high demand. Expect the food industry to increase its investment in healthy food from dry areas. Drylands are major tourist destinations, thanks to their unique landscapes, spectacular wildlife, and great diversity of people. Again, expect major investments in the sector. In drylands, people deliberately destroy their environment. Drylands' ecosystems are fragile and are more vulnerable to human interactions than other habitats. However, people living in dry areas are generally water-efficient and use relatively little biomass. Either they scarcely use the environment, or they are forced to migrate for there are no resources to sustain them. Take the example of the Sahel: 11 countries came together, across the width of Africa, from Senegal-Mauritania to the West to Djibouti-Eritrea to the East. With a giant ambition. A bold vision. To invest substantial human and financial resources to heal their degraded ecosystems, support their rural communities and contribute to climate. They will, with their partners, build a new, green world wonder. Commitments will now have to move to a scalable action. Change is home made. Not imported. Dear friends, It is time to change our narrative on drylands. On Africa. It is time to reset. It is time to rethink Africa’s development. It is time to turn challenges into opportunities. The African population is certainly young and dynamic: Not a dynamite. African drylands are certainly fragile. Not volatile. « When a lion jumps in the finish line of a race, those who were in the back suddenly take the lead ». This African wisdom is perhaps the closest equivalent I found to the English concept of « piggybacking ». Dear friends, When land degradation happens in the world’s drylands, this is known as desertification – meaning the loss of biological and productivity of the land. Desertification reduces agricultural output, contributes to droughts, and increases human vulnerability to climate change. In Africa – we all know it too well – about 45% of its land, this precious resource- is being degraded, with dramatic impacts for its people, as 70% of them depend on the land to live and survive. I therefore feel obliged to repeat this message: Land is a finite resource. We are depleting our capital. Our food systems are not sustainable. Our production systems are land hungry. And water hungry. Our consumption patterns are not viable either. The good news is that dryland degradation can be reversed, recreating more resilient and productive landscapes that will fix more carbon especially in the soil, restore ecosystem services, promote new viable enterprises, and create employment, while reducing conflicts and migration. And together, these will increase the opportunities to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the targets of the Rio Conventions on desertification, climate change and biodiversity. In the context of post COVID-19 recovery efforts, investing in land restoration makes the most economic sense: just as an example, through investment in sustainable land management interventions, Africa could generate about 71.8 billion USD/year if all countries act against soil erosion. The question is how we protect and restore the land. There are plenty of ways, but I would like to emphasize on three transformations that will allow us to restore Africa’s drylands efficiently and effectively. First, we need to work towards sustainable and efficient land management techniques that grow more food with less land and water. Second, we need to invest in regenerative practices such as organic agriculture and agroforestry. And third, we need to adopt a landscape approach for restoration – instead of shortsighted, spot-focused views. Naturally, these transformations can only be successful if we act together: through coherence of policies and practices, through international cooperation and solidarity, and through the involvement of all those concerned, including farmers and landowners. The UNCCD process, its institutions, constituted bodies and mechanisms, including its Global Mechanism, are here to support Africa in restoration efforts. At the onset of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and as we imagine a better world for all after the pandemic, we can unlock the opportunity of land restoration and its multiple benefits for the people of Africa.

Opening remarks by UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: As UNCCD, we care about land. We care about people’s livelihoods. We care about ecosystems. Having “Land in balance” is our motto. Reconciling the needs of a growing population -and a growing middle class- on one hand, with the need to protect our land, the most precious resource that provides us with food, fodder, water, air, and energy. I believe this is the first Global Rangelands Atlas ever published. Rangelands are social and economic systems as much as ecosystems, which makes them harder to define. This lack of definition has been a barrier to mapping them, which in turn has been a barrier to building global support to protect them. The Atlas shows that rangelands dominate the drylands, making them hugely important to the UNCCD. If we do not understand land degradation in the rangelands, then we are likely to see investments that are biased towards other land types. Or, even worse, we may see investments that are blind to specific conditions of rangelands, ending up being harmful to its systems. The lack of proper investment in rangelands is a challenge. A challenge we should address head on. Starting with the way we communicate. Our narrative about rangelands is rather reductive. “Rangelands,” “grazing lands,”c “pastoral lands” – all these terms suggest these lands are only used for domestic animals. Is this entirely true? Some say: Rangelands are degraded lands; therefore, they are not worth investing. I am sure the Atlas will debunk that myth. Think about the beautiful National Parks and Landscapes where Tourism is thriving? Where big businesses are being made. Are they not a big part of climate solutions? Are rangelands not biodiversity reservoirs and hot spots? When the extractive industry operates in areas that are rangelands, the land is called something else. I am reminded of the late Taghi Farvar’s 10 myths on mobile pastoralism (https://www.iccaconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mobility-myths-Farvar.pdf). Among the myths he argued should be debunked, I chose the following: 1. Pastoralism is an archaic form of production not adapted to modernity. 2. All conflicts are caused by pastoralists. 3. Rangelands are degraded because of over-stocking and overpopulation. 4. Pastoralism destroys biodiversity and leads to desertification. 5. Pastoralists overgraze their land. These are wrong assumptions that are not proven by science. What is generally accepted is that investments in rangelands are low. That the economy of pastoralism has attracted less policy attention, and therefore less political interest. That hundreds of millions of pastoralists from around the world are calling for more attention; more care; more investments. Dear friends, Mapping the rangelands is only the first step in ensuring they are sustainably managed, in line with the LDN targets. We hope this Atlas will inform and influence governments to raise rangelands in their national agendas, to start allocating investments to rangeland restoration, in line with national targets under all 3 Rio Conventions as well as ambitions to improve food and water security and other development goals. The Atlas also helps us to move the conversation forward so that rangelands – half of all land on Earth – can benefit from the UN Decade on ecosystem restoration, the UN Food Systems Summit, and the International Year on Rangelands and Pastoralism in 2026. The opportunities are lining up nicely – the momentum is picking up – and we must keep building pressure to accelerate action. Thank you