Other meetings & events

Are you between the ages of 18 and 35 and like making short videos? Are you involved or interested in the combat of desertification, land degradation and drought? Then you MUST participate in the Video Competition for the Capacity Building Marketplace that will take place from September 4 to October 26 2017! In each of the three categories of the competition, you will have the chance to win monetary and other prizes and to be featured in cover stories on the front page of the Marketplace! The winners will be selected by the public at large through a vote. Register and send us your video between September 4th and October 1st 2017. For more information, please visit the Capacity Building Marketplace.

The Government of Bolivia in collaboration with the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will organize a Regional Conference on Drought Management and Preparedness for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. The event will take place on 14th to 16th August 2017 in Santa Cruz de Sierra, Bolivia. The conference will identify and analyze the drought-related challenges, needs and gaps of LAC countries in order to promote effective management strategies and propose potential solutions. Local and international experts will consider various aspects of drought management in the region and beyond. The conference will focus on the following thematic issues: Key elements of national drought policy including drought early warning systems, vulnerability and impact assessment and proactive risk mitigation measures, public outreach and resource stewardship; Greater collaboration at all levels to enhance the local, national and regional observation networks and information delivery systems to improve public understanding of, and preparedness for, drought; and Coordination of drought programmes and response in an effective, efficient and customer-oriented manner. The UNCCD is currently preparing background documents that will guide the conference discussions. This will lead to the development of a ’White Paper’ towards a regional strategy on enhanced drought preparedness for the region. For more details, please download the programme and concept note: English  Español

8 – 10 September 2017 in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China Young people are an important force toward the development of a sustainable world. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) secretariat recognizes the important roles youth play in combating land degradation and promoting sustainable land management (SLM). Empowering young people to protect and restore degraded ecosystems will lead to green innovations that will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, reaching SDG15.3 land degradation neutrality. The UNCCD secretariat invites all young people and youth organization representatives to apply to speak and participate in the international UNCCD Youth Forum at its 13th Conference of the Parties (COP 13). The theme this year is "land, youth and sustainability." Application Deadline: 26 June 2017 Learn how to apply Apply Now! The Forum will be the platform for youth to: Voice their commitments toward achieving land degradation neutrality Build their capacities and opportunities to work toward combating desertification, land degradation and drought Share their experiences in combating desertification   For more information contact Marcos Montoiro at mmontoiro@unccd.int or Jenny Choo at  jchoo@unccd.int .    

The Sixth Kubuqi International Desert Forum (KIDF) will take place at the Kubuqi International Conference Center, Inner Mongolia, China, from 28 to 30 July 2017. The forum has been recognized by UNCCD as a platform for exchange and promotion of ideas on global desertification control and green economic development. The forum is also acknowledged by the Chinese Central Government as the national institutional forum for foreign affairs. The KIDF is held biennially since its inception, with five sessions conducted to date. The Forum is taking place in the same region where the upcoming UNCCD COP13 will take place in September 2017. KIDF, which is co-hosted by the Municipal Government of Ordos and the Elion Foundation, is jointly organized by China's Ministry of Science and Technology, the State Forestry Administration and the Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in collaboration with the UN Environment and the UNCCD secretariat. KIDF is also supported by the China Economic and Social Council and Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs. In line with the theme “Greening the Belt and Road, Sharing Desert Eco-Economy,” this year's forum aims to spark discussion and exchange of views on the development of the Belt and Road Desert region through green economy, green industrial innovations and innovative financial mechanisms that can contribute to the alleviation of poverty and help achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Among more than 300 delegates will be high-level officials of the central government of China, representatives from foreign states and governments, UN and other international organizations, regional and foreign enterprises, as well as leading researchers from national and global universities and research institutions. In addition, the UNCCD prestigious 2017 Land for Life Award ceremony will also take place during KIDF. A press conference with award recipients will be held on 29 July. For more information regarding the forum, please visit the following link or email: Ms. Cui Zhengnan, cuizhengnan@kubuqiforum.org For more information about the Land for Life Award winners and press conference with award recipients, please email: Ms. Jenny Choo, jchoo@unccd.int

Desertif’actions is a non-State actors’ international summit dedicated to land degradation and climate change. The event will take place on 27 and 28 June 2017 in Strasbourg (France). Over 300 stakeholders from more than 50 countries are expected to participate. The two-day event shares concerns about land degradation under a changing climate and its consequences in northern and southern countries. It aims to build common positions on the issue, which will be consolidated in a Declaration at the end of the event. UNCCD is one of the supporters of the D’a17. For more information and registration to the event, visit (external site): https://desertif-actions.fr/ Read more: UNCCD and civil society