Other meetings & events

The Summit on Desertification and Drought at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (10 May) in the Vatican brings together high-level participants, including global leaders, experts and stakeholders who are committed to addressing the severe threats of land degradation, desertification and drought (DLDD), especially in the Sahel region. The Summit provides a forum for enhancing understanding and fostering engagement around the ethical and scientific aspects of DLDD to help find sustainable solutions to these pressing environmental issues.  

The UNCCD CSO Panel is hosting an online meeting with organizations accredited to the UNCCD to advance the advocacy and communications plans for COP16. Update from our representatives at the Science-Policy Interface, Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought and Intergovernmental Working Group on the Midterm Evaluation, as well as the overview of COP16 and its key negotiation points as relevant to the civil society, followed by a question-and-answer session. The participants will be invited to continue their work after the meeting by joining a working group on one of the following topics: Strategic advocacy on hot policy topics of drought, gende and reporting indicators Good practices on the ground spearheaded by the civil society Communications Daily bulletin Open dialogue sessions  Side events  English, Spanish, French and Arabic interpretation will be provided for this event. Please register here: https://unccd-int.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6rv-W_GlS-uNRTly8vsJrg   

The annual youth forum of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations ( ECOSOC Youth Forum), is a platform that bring together young people from around the world to engage in deliberations on 2030 Agenda. It has evolved into a key platform where young people, high-level government representatives and other stakeholders of the youth sector contribute to policy discussions by sharing ideas, solutions and innovations for the SDGs.  The theme of the 2024 ECOSOC Youth Forum will align with that of the 2024 High-level Political Forum on “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”. Ahead of the Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024, young people will have the opportunity to present to Member States their ideas.  Participants in the ECOSOC Youth Forum will be Member States, including Ministers and other high-level representatives, representatives of regional and multilateral organizations, and young people from a wide diversity of backgrounds: formal and informal youth organisations, entities and groups working at the grassroots, national, regional and international levels. A particular emphasis will be given to representatives of marginalised and vulnerable youth communities. There will be space during the forum to engage and ask questions virutally. Please fill out this form by March 31, 2024. If you have any questions please email us at ecosocyf@unmgcy.org 

The midterm evaluation of UNCCD Strategic Framework is advancing toward the report to the COP.  The related intergovernmental working group will meet online to discuss the initial draft of the "Midterm evaluation of the 2018-2030 Strategic Framework" report, followed by further exchanges in writing as needed. The next and final meeting of the working group will take place on 25-28 June in Bonn to finalize the report for submission to COP 16, scheduled for 2-13 December 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The report will be accompanied by a draft decision "Enhancing the implementation of the UNCCD in 2025-2030."  

The first of its kind in China, the Sustainable natural fibers (SNF) global conference is an international event aimed at advancing sustainability and responsible practices within the natural fibers, down, silk, and other ethically sourced materials. The global gathering will bring together growers and herders, standards and certification bodies, processors and manufacturers, brands and retailers, fashion designers, academics and government from across the natural fibers sector. The conference will feature plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and will provide invaluable networking opportunities. High-profile speakers and experts will provide insights on emerging trends, present-day challenges and strategic approaches to safeguard communities involved in natural fiber production. Topics to be addressed include climate change and its impact on herders, growers and farmers, sustainability trends in the natural fiber and fashion industry, regenerative agriculture, animal welfare, supply chain innovation, as well as green finance opportunities. The conference will also launch a global fashion competition to showcase for emerging designers specializing in the use of natural fibers. Under theme “Living towards beauty,”  the competition aims to build an international platform for exchange on sustainable fashion and encourage the next generation of designers to incorporate the aesthetics of sustainability into their work. The conference brochure is available for download from the side menu on the right. For more information on how to take part in this event, please visit the SNF global conference website.