UNCCD COP14 logo unveiled in India

19 June 2019
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New Delhi, India – During World Day to Combat Desertification celebrations, Mr. Prakash Javedkar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, officially launched the logo of the upcoming COP 14 that will take place on 2-13 September 2019.

The minister expressed a warm welcome to the global community and encouraged the active participation in the COP 14. “India will lead the world in reversing land degradation and addressing desertification,’’ the minister stated. He emphasized the dedication of the Indian government under the leadership of ,Prime Minister Narendra Modi to improving soil health, restoring of degraded lands as means for increasing farmer’s income, building climate change resilience and improving water management with focus on most degraded and vulnerable land. Ms. Renata Lok-Dessallien, the United Nations Resident Coordinator thanked the minister for India’s commitment to combating land degradation and the country's generosity in hosting the upcoming UNCCD COP.

On behalf of UNCCD, Mr. Juan Carlos Mendoza, the Managing Director of Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, praised the strong commitment of India for championing the agenda for land as integral part of achieving Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 15 on ‘’Life on Land,’’

During the event, high-level officials from key ministries, including the Ministry of Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Water, and the government’s policy think tank Niti Aayog presented India’s experience in integrated approaches to tackling land degradation through community participation.

India is strongly committed to achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030 and further reversing land degradation through restoration. A multi-stakeholder expert consultation brought together 100 experts from national and state-level government agencies, research organizations, UN agencies, NGOs and youth groups to discuss voluntary LDN targets and a legacy program to be launched during COP 14.