Other meetings & events

At its sixteenth session, the UNCCD Conference of the Parties adopted a decision which calls for the development of a land tenure toolbox and awareness raising of accountability and grievance mechanisms with the aim of supporting countries in improving tenure security at national and subnational levels. Under the theme "From Awareness to Action: Accountability for Tenure Security", these webinars bring together UNCCD and FAO stakeholders, Implementing Agencies of the Global Environment Facility, CSOs and other interested partners. Speakers focus on the importance of secure land tenure, women’s land rights and tenure data and indicators, with a special focus on the critical role of accountability and grievance mechanisms in safeguarding human rights and promoting responsible land governance. 

Join us for a high-level webinar exploring how rangeland and pastoralist solutions can be integrated into global environmental frameworks addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.Rangelands and pastoralist systems cover more than half of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. These landscapes provide essential ecosystem services, including biodiversity conservation, climate regulation and sustainable food production. Yet despite their importance, rangelands remain underrepresented in national and global policy frameworks.As countries advance implementation of their commitments under the Rio Conventions — UNCCD, UN Climate and UN Biodiversity — there is growing recognition that sustainable rangeland management and pastoralist practices offer nature-based solutions that contribute across all three agendas.With 2026 declared the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), this webinar provides an important opportunity to explore how rangelands can be better integrated into climate, biodiversity, and land restoration strategies while fostering collaboration between policymakers, technical experts, finance institutions, and practitioners.ObjectivesThe webinar aims to:Identify policy entry points for integrating rangeland solutions into national and regional frameworks such as NDCs, NBSAPs and Land Degradation Neutrality targetsStrengthen alignment across the Rio Conventions by highlighting shared priorities and synergiesBuild momentum toward the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 as a global platform for awareness, innovation and investmentEncourage collaboration between policymakers, finance institutions and practitioners to translate commitments into on-the-ground impactRegister here.

The GEO Open House Webinar Series is a cross-learning opportunity to explore how activities in the Post-2025 GEO Work Programme are advancing Earth Intelligence for All. Each session in the series highlights five examples of how Earth observations are being leveraged in the new transformative GEO Work Programme.This second webinar will focus on the theme of the DRR–climate–biodiversity nexus, featuring five activities working in areas including ecosystems, biodiversity and carbon management:Land Degradation Neutrality (GEO-LDN)Forest Biomass Reference System from Tree-by-Tree Inventory DataGlobal Ecosystems and Environment Analysis Research CooperationDigital Earth AfricaGEO Indigenous AllianceSpeakers representing these activities will present focus areas, key products and services, user communities and recent innovations, followed by a moderated discussion.Time: 1:30-3:30pm CET. Access the full programme and registration via this link.

The UNCCD Secretariat is organizing a series of regional online consultations with Local Communities to gather input on the Draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for the establishment of a Local Communities Caucus under the UNCCD, in accordance with Decision 5/COP.16.-Local communities play a critical role in combating desertification, land degradation and drought, contributing valuable knowledge and practices that support sustainable land management and the achievement of Land Degradation Neutrality. Strengthening their meaningful and inclusive participation in UNCCD processes is essential to advancing the objectives of the Convention.At COP16, Parties requested the UNCCD Secretariat to support the development of ToR for the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities, ensuring that these mechanisms reflect the representativeness, priorities and perspectives of these groups.The consultations aim to strengthen the participation of local communities in the UNCCD and to ensure that the ToR reflect the perspectives and priorities of local communities and that representatives are identified through their own procedures and governance structures.The consultations aim to:Discuss what meaningful engagement of Local Communities within the UNCCD should look likeGather feedback on key elements of the Draft Terms of Reference for the Local Communities CaucusConsultation schedule18 March 2026 | 10:00–11:30 CETInterpretation: English/French/Arabic'RussianRegistration18 March 2026 | 15:00–16:30 CETInterpretation: English/Spanish/PortugueseRegistration19 March 2026 | 08:00–09:30 CETInterpretation: English/Russian/ArabicRegistrationRepresentatives of local communities and relevant stakeholders are invited to participate.Please fill the following pre-consultation survey before the webinar to help us:Understand what meaningful local communities engagement looks like in the context of the UNCCDCollect input on what elements should be in the Local Communities Caucus Terms of Reference (ToR)Identify LC organizations to invite to the consultationAccess the survey in: English | French | Russian | Portuguese | Spanish 

The UNCCD is convening a series of regional online consultations with Indigenous Peoples to review and discuss the Draft Terms of Reference for the establishment of an Indigenous Peoples Caucus, as per Decision 5/COP16. Indigenous Peoples represent approximately 476–500 million people worldwide. While comprising just over six per cent of the global population, they safeguard around 80 per cent of the planet’s remaining biodiversity and manage at least one quarter of the world’s land surface. Their knowledge systems, governance structures and stewardship practices are essential to combating DLDD, strengthening climate resilience, and conserving biodiversity. International recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights is grounded in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP, 2007), which affirms their rights to self-determination, lands, territories and natural resources, culture and effective participation in decision-making processes that affect them. Within the framework of the UNCCD, Parties have consistently acknowledged the vital role of Indigenous Peoples and their traditional knowledge in advancing sustainable land management. In this context, COP16 Decision 5 requests the secretariat to support the development of relevant Terms of Reference for the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Caucus, ensuring an approach that guarantees representativeness and reflects the unique perspectives and priorities of Indigenous Peoples. The consultation will be used to gather the inputs from the Indigenous Peoples to strengthen their effective and inclusive participation of Indigenous Peoples in UNCCD processes and decision-making.These consultations aim to: Present the Draft Terms of ReferenceGather feedback from Indigenous representatives on how they could participate in the meetings and processes of the UNCCDEnsure inclusivity, representativeness and alignment with Convention principlesStrengthen collective ownership of the future Caucus structure 3 March 2026 | 10:00 CET | online Interpretation: English, French, Arabic, Russian Register here  3 March 2026  | 15:00 CET | online  Interpretation: English, Spanish, Portuguese  Register here 4 March 2026  | 08:00 CET | online  Interpretation: English, Arabic, Russian Register here