Draft terms of reference for the Indigenous Peoples Caucus and Local Communities Caucus now available for review

In accordance with Decision 5/COP.16, the UNCCD Secretariat is supporting the development of Terms of Reference (ToR) for the establishment of an Indigenous Peoples Caucus and a Local Communities Caucus under the Convention.

As part of this process, the Secretariat has been holding consultations since COP16, including the convening of a series of online consultations with Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and Parties to the UNCCD to gather inputs, perspectives and recommendations on the proposed structures, participation modalities and governance approaches of the future caucuses.

The consultations aimed to strengthen the effective, meaningful and inclusive participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in UNCCD processes and decision-making, while ensuring that the future caucuses reflect their representativeness, priorities, knowledge systems and governance structures.

The Draft Terms of Reference are now available for review:

• UNCCD Indigenous Peoples Caucus
• UNCCD Local Communities Caucus

Parties are invited to submit written comments and feedback by 15 June 2026 to: cso [at] unccd.int (cso[at]unccd[dot]int)

Please indicate the relevant subject line:

• “Comments on the draft TOR Indigenous Peoples Caucus”

  Or 

• “Comments on the draft TOR Local Communities Caucus”

The inputs received will help further strengthen the inclusivity, representativeness and collective ownership of the future caucuses under the UNCCD.