2026 UNCCD reporting process: PRAIS update

The UNCCD is pleased to announce that the new version of the Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS), launched in August 2025, is ready for the upcoming 2026 UNCCD national reporting process.    

In summary, PRAIS has been streamlined and enhanced through key innovations such as a country overview dashboard, expanded user roles to support teamwork, peer-to-peer chat, improved validation tools, flexible data sourcing and clearer delineation of reporting obligations to enhance the user experience. These updates are in response to requests made by Parties.   

Tentative reporting deadlines   

Tentative deadlines for submission of national reports are set as follows: November 2026 for Strategic Objective (SO) 1 and February 2027 for the remaining SOs. The CRIC Bureau in consultation with the Executive Secretary will monitor progress and may adjust this timeline, if necessary.  

Technical support for Parties   

In line with decision 2/COP.16, partner regional institutions will provide technical support to Parties during the reporting process, including the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC), the Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS). Additional partnerships are being explored and consultants will fill any remaining support gaps.    

A phased approach   

Although the launch of PRAIS marks the beginning of the 2026 UNCCD reporting process, capacity-building and support services will be rolled out in phases, depending on the availability of funding. The phased approach is outlined below:  

• Phase 1 (ongoing): PRAIS launch with supporting documentation and online help desk (https://support.unccd.int);
• Phase 2 (December 2025): Training of Trainers in Panama for regional institutions and consultants;
• Phase 3 (January – April 2026): Regional in-person training for national focal points and reporting officers;
• Phase 4 (February - March 2026): Release of e-learning video tutorials;
• Phase 5 (January 2026 – February 2027): Ongoing technical backstopping and quality assurance of national reports before final submission. 

Following the conclusion of national reporting, the CRIC will review and analyze the submitted information at its twenty-fifth session.  

In view of the phases mentioned above, Parties are encouraged to finalize arrangements and begin utilizing enabling environment funds made available by the Global Environment Facility at national level so that stakeholders can be notified and prompted to start collecting necessary data and information for integration into PRAIS.   

Reporting team preparation  

To begin preparations, Parties are encouraged to assemble their reporting teams under the leadership of the designated reporting officer. Each team member should have a separate PRAIS account, log into https://reporting.unccd.int and familiarize themselves with the system functions and reporting forms and review the supporting documentation.   

Unless formally communicated otherwise, the UNCCD secretariat will consider that the national reporting officer from the 2022 reporting process remains in place for the 2026 reporting round. If a change is needed, the National Focal Point should submit either their own expression of interest or the contact details of the nominated individual to the secretariat via email at reporting [at] unccd.int (reporting[at]unccd[dot]int).  

Supporting documents to assist with reporting include:  

Available now:  

• Addendum to the Good Practice Guidance on SDG Indicator 15.3.1 (advanced unedited version) 
• UNCCD Reporting Manual (updated for the 2026 reporting process and available in all UN languages) 
• Updated PRAIS 4 User Manual  

Coming soon:  

• Updated e-learning video tutorials (in all UN languages) 
• Good Practice Guidance for National Reporting on Strategic Objective 5  

For any questions regarding the reporting process or modalities, please contact the technical team via the help desk or write directly to reporting [at] unccd.int (reporting[at]unccd[dot]int).