Other meetings & events

With an estimated 2.8 million hectares of forests lost each year, deforestation and land degradation remain significant challenges for Africa. Bringing together diverse public and private sector voices, alongside indigenous groups, scientists and youth activists, the 2018 Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) Africa Conference will foster political and community support to implement the AFR100 Initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded landscapes across Africa by 2030. This regional conference will focus on the coordination and promotion of international, national and private sector support for forest and landscape restoration, while paving the way forward for forest and landscape restoration implementation. Read more...

UNCCD will participate in the Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week in Montevideo, Uruguay – a key international summit to drive climate action forward across the region. Governments, private sector and other non-state stakeholders will get together to promote more climate ambition. The LACCW2018 will cover climate-friendly development, innovation on transports, waste-to-energy policy, circular economy, carbon pricing, low emission infrastructure and other areas. Read more: Event info (English) Event info (Spanish)

The High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development will meet from Monday, 9 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018 in New York under the theme "Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies" and will include numerous panels and roundtables to review the progress on the SDGs. In the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “the 2030 Agenda is our roadmap and its goals and targets are tools to get there.” The HLPF ensures full and effective participation of all States members of the United Nations and States members of specialized agencies.  Among the goals that will be in focus during this year's HLPF is Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Please click here to read the HLPF blog.

As part of its efforts to enhance LDN implementation, the Government of Republic of Korea, in partnership with the UNCCD, will host a Global LDN Forum, designed to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences and knowledge in land degradation neutrality (LND) implementation among relevant stakeholders. The Forum will provide an opportunity to explore and discuss insights and experience on how the global community can strengthen partnerships to support achieving LDN. The Forum will also look into options to promote peace and security and improve the living conditions of communities in cross-border regions through LDN implementation, including sustainable land management (SLM). By sharing best practices and experience in land and forest management, the Forum will perform a vital role in enhancing LDN implementation as well as building peace.  The Forum will have the following objectives: Showcase collaboration and partnership building to support LDN implementation and present LDN as a transformative framework to address land degradation for sustainable development; Contribute to the promotion of peace by facilitating sharing of best practices and experience on transboundary cooperation in land management and rehabilitation;   Share experiences and discuss how LDN initiatives can bring together partners, including governments, communities, donors, NGOs and practitioners in achieving national LDN targets to maximize multiple benefits. Read more: Event info  

Theme: "Land has true value – Invest in it!"The World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) was celebrated worldwide on 17 June 2018 with the focus on sustainable land management as a way to regenerate economies, create jobs and revitalize communities. Under the slogan “Land has true value – Invest in it,” WDCD2018 called all involved – producers, consumers and policy makers – to make a difference by investing in the future of land. We often used land as if it were a limitless resource, ignoring its role in our everyday lives. This negligence threatens food and water supply, biodiversity and even human security itself. Short-sighted economic gains such as land grabbing, unplanned urban sprawl, unsustainable agriculture and over-consumption lead to unsustainable land use, which eventually causes degradation and loss of critical ecosystem services. As a result, consumption of the Earth´s natural reserves has doubled in the last 30 years, with a third of the planet´s land already severely degraded.Global observance in EcuadorThe WDCD2018 global observance was hosted by the Government of Ecuador. The country promotes sustainable land management as one of the pillars of bio-economy – the knowledge-based production and utilization of biological resources, innovative biological processes and principles to sustainably provide goods and services across all economic sectors. Ecuador used the WDCD as an occasion to showcase its nation-wide efforts in making sustainable land management the principal tool for the development of bio-economy.Events around the world Every year, the World Day to Combat Desertification is celebrated in many countries in the world. See below how others celebrated the Day in 2018. AFRICAAlgeriaThe Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fishing is planning a celebration of WDCD in all 48 provinces (wilayas). The celebration will involve the participation of managers, companies, investors, youth, and the minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fishing (event concept note).EgyptDesert Research Center plans to celebrate the World Day at the end of June after the feast of Aid El-Fitr. Details of the activities are being finalized.KenyaKenya’s national commemoration of WDCD will take place on 17 June at Oldonyo Nyokie School, Magadi in Kajiado County. Activities include tree planting, exhibitions, media campaigns, donations of water tanks and dairy goats, and clean-up efforts. Partners include Safaricom, Tata Chemicals, UNDP, and Kajiado County Government.NigerThe African Network of Young Leaders for Peace and Sustainable Development (ANYL4PSD) is conducting a campaign in Maradi (Niger) and Maroa (Cameroon) to promote sustainable land management. A tree-planting activity will also occur in Tchintabaraden on 3 August.RwandaThe Green Fighter, a youth group at the University of Rwanda, will educate primary school children in Nyarugenge district on desertification and land degradation on 20 June.ASIA/PACIFICChinaThe National Forestry & Grassland Administration will host a high-level event in Yulin city (14 June) and an International Seminar on desertification control in Gansu Province. A youth-focused event, “A Greener China,” was held on 26–27 May.IndiaThe Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is participating in exhibitions and events for WDCD. Farmers’ groups like Cumulus STAAR and Familial Forestry are organizing tree-planting, workshops, and awareness campaigns.Republic of South KoreaThe Korea Forest Service will host a public event on 15 June in Seoul, featuring exhibitions, tree sapling distributions, and awareness campaigns.ThailandThe Land Development Department will present “The importance of WDCD and pathway for the implementation of the Convention” on 28 June in Khon Kaen.United Arab EmiratesThe Emirates Environmental Group will launch a paper recycling project, “Recycle. Reforest. Repeat,” on 17 June.EUROPEEuropean UnionThe European Commission’s International Cooperation and Development will host a workshop and InfoPoint presentation on 18 June in Brussels to discuss sustainable land management.SpainFundacion Agreste and the U.S. Embassy will hold a conference on “The Value of Fragile Ecosystems for Sustainable Development” on 5 June in Pontevedra.LACColombiaMisión Verde Amazonia will host a seminar on sustainable livestock production (7–9 June) in Florencia.EcuadorEcuador is hosting the global observance event for WDCD 2018.VenezuelaThe Ministry of Ecosocialism and Water will organize forums, reforestation campaigns, and educational activities nationwide.OTHERFAOFAO and China’s Permanent Representation will host a seminar on private-sector roles in combating land degradation on 18 June in Rome.United StatesAlgonquin Regional High School (Massachusetts) will run an awareness campaign on desertification and soil erosion on 6 June.Events included tree plantings, workshops, exhibitions, and policy discussions to promote land conservation and sustainable practices.To request further information, such as WDCD messages from United Nations officials or press releases in additional languages, as well as past campaign, press or awareness raising materials, please contact secretariat@unccd.int.