Signing of the Host Country Agreement with Mongolia for UNCCD COP17: Speech by Ibrahim Thiaw

Your Excellency Minister Odontuya Saldan, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia,

Your Excellency Mr. Mandakhbileg Birvaa, Ambassador of Mongolia to Germany 

Your Excellency Ms. Chimguundari Navaan-Yunden, 

Ambassador at large for UNCCD COP17

Dear Colleagues,

I am honored to receive you here today, in Bonn, to sign the Host Country Agreement of UNCCD COP 17, to be held in 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 

Signing this agreement more than a year ahead of COP is a remarkable achievement in itself. 

I can attest that this is a clear sign of strong commitment from the top leadership of the country. 

No doubt that UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar will be splendid! 

Dear colleagues, 

You will be pleased to know that the people of Mongolia are known for their great hospitality, deeply rooted in nomadic traditions. In fact, it is said that in Mongolia, hospitality is a moral duty. Visitors have open invitation, without needing prior notice. 

Remarkably, we have the same tradition in my home country, Mauritania.

Significant to their nomadic traditions, guests are offered, as a sign of respect, airag (a traditional drink made of fermented horse milk) or milk tea (suutei tsai) or boiled meat: dairy and meat are offered to guests, because they are most prestigious. 

Again, a similar feature in Mauritania, visitors are offered a drink made of fermented milk. 

Respectful seating arrangements matter too, as visitors are offered to be on the North side of the ger (a traditional home), the North being the most honored spot. 

Mongolia, the second-largest landlocked country in the world, has the particularity of having up to 27 more animals than humans. 

This shows how much livestock represent for the economy, the stability and the prosperity of the country. 

Another similar feature with Mauritania where the livestock population exceeds the human population!

Mongolia’s vast landscapes are defined by its expansive steppes, rugged mountains, and the critical role of its rangelands in supporting both nature and human livelihoods. 

At the heart of this ecosystem is the Mongolian horse, a hardy and adaptable breed, central to the nomadic way of life. Horses hold deep cultural, historical and practical significance for the people of Mongolia. 

Remarkably, horses outnumber humans in Mongolia by a ratio of 1.5, underscoring the significant importance of these animals in culture and daily life.

These horses are more than a symbol of the enduring connection between the Mongolian people and their environment. 

This brief overview reveals the deep connections between rangelands and livestock with the culture, the way of life and the economy of not only the pastoralists but the entire nation. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Land degradation is not a mirage. Land restoration is not a slogan for a fancy international conference. 

For those who have no other capital, no other source of income than the land they live in and the ecosystems that it sustains, land loss may be the equivalent to a massive economic depression. 

To a pastoralist or to a small farmer, drought or bushfire may have the same impact as a terrible earthquake or volcano. 

For the pastoralists of Mongolia and elsewhere, as fertile grasslands give way to barren deserts and sand dunes, herders face dwindling resources for their livestock, threatening their traditional way of life. 

Sand and dust storms, which have become more frequent and severe, are a visible manifestation of this environmental crisis. These storms lead to loss of top fertile soil; they have far-reaching impacts, affecting air quality, reduced carbon sequestration, human health, and even triggering conflict. 

While these issues have brought global attention to Mongolia’s environmental challenges, this visibility has also opened doors for international cooperation and investment in sustainable solutions. Initiatives to restore degraded rangelands, stabilize sand dunes, and combat land loss are gaining momentum. 

Programs that promote sustainable grazing practices, such as rotational grazing and community-based land management, are helping to revive grasslands and improve soil health. These efforts are creating new opportunities for eco-friendly livelihoods, such as eco-tourism and sustainable agriculture. 

They are empowering local communities to take an active role in preserving their environment while improving their economic prospects.

Mongolia’s unique combination of traditional knowledge and modern innovation offers a promising path forward – and one which we are proud will feature UNCCD’s COP17 in 2026. 

As Mongolia works to restore its degraded lands and manage its rangelands, the country is not only preserving a way of life but also paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future. 

Mongolia is setting an example, by creating a model for balancing ecological restoration with economic growth – this is Mongolia’s legacy. This journey highlights the potential for turning environmental challenges into opportunities for resilience, innovation, and global leadership, and we at UNCCD are proud to be a part of this beautiful chapter. 

Madam Minister, Excellencies, 

As I conclude, I am reminded of the discussions I had in my various meetings with President Khürelsükh, with regards the multiple similarities between Mongolia and Mauritania: 

• Total area : 1 million km2, each

• Large deserts (Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world; and Gobi, the largest desert in Asia);

• Relatively small-size population (3, 4 or 5 M people)

• -Relatively large-size livestock (more horses in Mongolia and more camels in Mauritania)

• Resource rich (especially mining) but relatively small industrial bases, 

• The two countries were admitted the same day to the United Nations on 26 October 1961

This is just to say that by hosting COP17 in 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia will host close to 200 Parties, thousands of members of civil society, scientists and International Organisations. A unique opportunity to share experience, adopt relevant policies and above all open new avenues for cooperation and the much needed solidarity across nations.  

Thank you.