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On International Biodiversity Day, we stand at a pivotal moment. We are at a point where we have the power to strengthen life on Earth, or let it decline. The theme "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity" is challenging us to turn our commitments into tangible actions. The natural world is a magnificent tapestry. A grand masterpiece painted with a palette of countless species, and ecosystems. Nature is the source of our existence. Nature, including Land, provides us with the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the medicine that heals. But this complex symphony of life stands on a precipice. Changes in how we use land are predicted to have the most devastating impact on biodiversity by 2100. Consider this: although land covers less than 30 per cent of the Earth's surface, it is home to a staggering 85 per cent of all species. These lands support a rich variety of ecosystems that provide essential goods and services that sustain life on our planet. Yet the threads of this tapestry are fraying. If we continue on our current path, the cheerful songs of birds or the buzzing of bees may become sounds of distant past. The peaceful sight of a lush grassland or a healthy wetland may be relegated to a souvenir. These trends are not only leading to the loss of biodiversity, but they are also exacerbating climate change. Today we are called to action. We must harness the power of synergy, a power where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Synergies, like the harmony of a finely tuned orchestra, exist where commitments intersect under binding multilateral agreements and voluntary commitments. Here, at the nexus of land governance, management, and restoration, we find a melody that can restore balance. The crises of land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change are interconnected, and their effects are felt in our societies, ecosystems, and economies. The path to harmony lies in conserving, managing, and restoring our ecosystems and land resources. That’s where we can strike the right notes for the healthier planet. The Rio Conventions alongside the Sustainable Development Goals, form a symphony of resilience and sustainability. Harnessing synergies requires an orchestra in harmony. We need to integrate these agreements into our national plans, harmonizing our actions for a better future. With the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework in late 2022, we have a roadmap for a harmonious future. In support of this Framework, the UNCCD released a Synergy Brief on this year's Biodiversity Day, 22 May. So far, concerted action has been insufficient to address the interlinked biodiversity loss and land degradation crises, the brief suggests. Preventing the degradation of ecosystems and rehabilitating or restoring degraded land and soil are cost-effective responses that can safeguard biodiversity and improve rural livelihoods, while reducing the growing environmental risks to our societies, economies, and the natural world. So, on this International Biodiversity Day 2023, let us rise to the challenge. Together, we can turn the silence of biodiversity loss into a symphony of life. A symphony that will echo through the ages. Thank you!

Bonn/New York, 18 May 2023 – This year’s Desertification and Drought Day, marked on 17 June, will put the global spotlight on women’s land rights with events taking place in New York and around the world.  The global observance event, titled “Her Land. Her Rights: Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals” will take place at the United Nations Headquarters’ General Assembly Hall on Friday, 16 June 2023.   The event will be opened by the President of the 77th General Assembly, and will convene high-level policymakers, women leaders, renowned scientists, land activists, and youth representatives from around the world to discuss policies and actions needed to advance women’s land rights and promote stronger female leadership and decision-making power in sustainable land management.    UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said: “Of all the gender inequalities we experience in the world, the imbalance in women’s access to fertile land remains arguably the most shocking. In every corner of the world, filling this particular gender gap remains an unfinished business. That’s why on this year’s Desertification and Drought Day we are mobilizing the international community in support of women’s land rights.”  Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland and UNCCD Land Ambassador, who is among women leaders attending the high-level event, said: “Solving gender inequalities is not just the right thing to do. If we ensure that women are fully able to use their abilities, knowledge, talents, and leadership potential, our societies are simply better off.”  Inna Modja, Malian singer and UNCCD Goodwill Ambassador, who will be performing at the high-level event, said: “As a woman, artist, and climate and social justice activist, I believe it’s vital to empower women and youth and promote gender equality in the fight against desertification and land degradation. Together, we can create a brighter, sustainable future.”  In addition to the global observance event in New York, events to mark Desertification and Drought Day 2023 will be taking place in all parts of the world, including Fiji, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Serbia and Vietnam.  Ahead of this year’s Desertification and Drought Day, UNCCD launched #HerLand, a public-awareness campaign to promote successful examples of women and girls’ contributions to sustainable land management, and mobilize support to advance land rights for women and girls around the world.   Women, who comprise nearly half of the world's agricultural workforce hold a vital stake in the health of the land and suffer most when land is degraded. Yet, discriminatory practices related to land tenure, credit access, equal pay, and decision-making often impede their active participation in sustaining land health. Today, less than one-in-five landholders worldwide are women.  This represents a missed opportunity: when they are given equal access to land, women and girls can increase agricultural productivity, restore land and build resilience to drought. Women invest more in nutrition, health and education which benefits their families, and wider society.  ###  Confirmed details  Event title  Her Land. Her Rights. Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals  High-level event to mark Desertification and Drought Day 2023  Venue  General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters, New York UN WebTV webcast link: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1ix8i8j1z Dates and time  Friday, 16 June 2023  10:00 hrs –13:00 hrs (EDT) / 14:00 hrs- 17:00 hrs (GMT/UTC) / 15:00 hrs– 18:00 hrs BST/ 16:00 hrs – 19:00 hrs (CEST)  Speakers  Organized jointly by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), UN Women, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN Human Rights Office, the high-level event will focus on policies and actions needed to advance women’s land rights and role sustainable land management.   Notable speakers are expected to be in attendance, including:   Csaba Kőrösi, President of the General Assembly  António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations (via recorded video message)  Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General  Tarja Halonen, Former President of Finland and UNCCD Land Ambassador  Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director, UN Women  Alain-Richard Donwahi, UNCCD COP15 President  Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President, Association des Femmes Peuples Autochtones du Tchad (AFPAT)   Rex Molapo, Co-founder, Conservation Music, Lesotho   The programme of the high-level event will feature musical performances by UNCCD Goodwill Ambassadors, Malian singer, and artist Inna Modja who executive-produced the Great Green Wall documentary, and Senegalese musician Baaba Maal who composed music for the latest instalment of Marvel’s film Black Panther, as well as Ricky Kej, 3 times Grammy Award-winner, Indian Composer.   It will also offer an immersive experience, including the launch of a metaverse game demo and a photo exhibition entitled Her Land.  Notes to Editors  For preview interviews and media related inquires please contact: UNCCD Press Office: press@unccd.int and Portland Communications: unccd@portland-communications.com Journalists wishing to cover the event who don’t hold valid press accreditation for the United Nations Headquarters in New York need to be registered, and should email: press@unccd.int and unccd@portland-communications.com. A copy of your valid press card and passport will be required to pick up your access badge.  Video and multimedia assets   Video and multimedia assets from the event will be made available immediately afterwards.  Existing videos and assets from Her Land Campaign –  https://trello.com/b/AuQjCPfN/unccd-herland-campaign. Credit: UNCCD  Human interest stories showcasing vital contribution of women to sustainable land management will be available nearer the time.  Social Media  Twitter: @UNCCD  Instagram: @unccd  Hashtags: #HerLand #UNited4Land  Download relevant social media assets here: https://trello.com/b/AuQjCPfN/unccd-herland-campaign  Learn more about the campaign: https://www.unccd.int/land-and-life/gender/herland  For information about Desertification and Drought Day visit: https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2023  For information about Desertification and Drought Day 2023 events in New York and around the world visit: https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2023/events-around-world   About UNCCD  The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land. We unite governments, scientists, policymakers, private sector and communities around a shared vision and global action to restore and manage the world’s land for the sustainability of humanity and the planet. Much more than an international treaty signed by 197 parties, UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to mitigating today’s impacts of land degradation and advancing tomorrow’s land stewardship in order to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner. 

FRANÇAIS | ESPAÑOL | РУССКИЙ The UNCCD is currently undertaking three parallel assessments: An independent assessment of the UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework A review of the UNCCD Science Policy Interface  An evaluation of the UNCCD Gender Action Plan  The assessments will review progress made, identify successes, challenges and key lessons that have arisen, then develop recommendations to improve performance.  We've approached you due to your involvement with the UNCCD or related processes. We would like to hear your views on the Strategic Framework, Science Policy Interface and Gender Action Plan, and would be grateful if you could complete the following survey, which should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. Your responses will be confidential and will not be used in a manner that would allow identification of individuals. The survey will be open until Sunday 4th June 2023: https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90565464/UNCCD-evaluation-surveys Thank you for your participation! FRANÇAIS La Convention des Nations unies sur la lutte contre la désertification (CNULD) entreprend actuellement trois évaluations parallèles : Une évaluation indépendante du cadre stratégique 2018-2030 de la CCD Examen de l'interface de la politique scientifique de la CCD  Évaluation du plan d'action de la CCD en faveur de l'égalité des sexes  Les évaluations examineront les progrès réalisés, identifieront les succès, les défis et les principaux enseignements qui ont été tirés, puis élaboreront des recommandations pour améliorer les performances.  Nous avons pris contact avec vous en raison de votre participation à la CNULD ou à des processus connexes. Nous aimerions connaître votre avis sur le cadre stratégique, l'interface de la politique scientifique et le plan d'action pour l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes, et vous serions reconnaissants de bien vouloir répondre à l'enquête suivante, qui ne devrait pas prendre plus de 30 minutes. Vos réponses seront confidentielles et ne seront pas utilisées de manière à permettre l'identification des personnes. L'enquête sera ouverte jusqu'au dimanche 4th juin 2023: https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90565464/UNCCD-evaluation-surveys Merci d'avance pour votre participation ! ESPAÑOL La CNULD está realizando actualmente tres evaluaciones paralelas: Una evaluación independiente del Marco Estratégico de la CNULD 2018-2030 Una revisión de la interfaz de política científica de la CNULD  Evaluación del Plan de Acción de Género de la CNULD  Las evaluaciones examinarán los progresos realizados, identificarán los éxitos, los retos y las lecciones clave que hayan surgido y, a continuación, elaborarán recomendaciones para mejorar los resultados.  Nos hemos puesto en contacto con usted debido a su implicación en la CNULD o en procesos relacionados. Nos gustaría conocer su opinión sobre el Marco Estratégico, la Interfaz de Política Científica y el Plan de Acción de Género, y le agradeceríamos que rellenara la siguiente encuesta, que no le llevará más de 30 minutos. Sus respuestas serán confidenciales y no se utilizarán de manera que permita la identificación de personas. La encuesta estará abierta hasta el domingo 4 de junio de 2023: https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90565464/UNCCD-evaluation-surveys Muchas gracias por su participación! РУССКИЙ В настоящее время КБОООН проводит три параллельные оценки: Независимая оценка Стратегических рамок КБОООН на 2018-2030 гг. Обзор интерфейса научной политики КБОООН  Оценка Плана действий КБОООН по гендерным вопросам  В ходе оценок будет проведен обзор достигнутого прогресса, определены успехи, проблемы и основные уроки, которые возникли, а затем разработаны рекомендации по улучшению работы.  Мы обратились к вам в связи с вашим участием в КБО ООН или связанных с ней процессах. Мы хотели бы узнать ваше мнение о Стратегической структуре, взаимодействии научной политики и Плане действий по гендерным вопросам и будем благодарны, если вы сможете заполнить следующий опросник, который займет не более 30 минут. Ваши ответы будут конфиденциальными и не будут использоваться таким образом, чтобы можно было идентифицировать личность. Опрос будет открыт до воскресенья 4 июня 2023 года: https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90565464/UNCCD-evaluation-surveys Благодарим за участие!

In line with relevant provisions of COP15 decisions, the secretariat and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD and its partners are very glad to inform all UNCCD country Parties of the launch of the “Call for Requests for Support to Assist Countries in Strengthening Land Degradation Neutrality Targets and Integrated Land Use Planning Frameworks”.

French  |  German Bern, Switzerland, 10 May 2023 – Today, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) signed a new voluntary contribution agreement for 2023-2024. Switzerland has committed 400,000 Swiss Francs to further support sustainable land management and ensure that all stakeholders, especially those representing the most vulnerable populations, can be fully involved in global decision-making on land and drought issues. Welcoming the agreement, UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said: “I commend Switzerland for its leadership and commitment to UNCCD’s efforts to ensure a sustainable future for our land. Switzerland’s generous support will be vital to improve land tenure systems and invest in solutions that put people—especially the most vulnerable—first.” During the signing ceremony, Ms. Patricia Danzi, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation said: “Soil is the foundation on which is based our food security and livelihoods. We are happy to collaborate with the UNCCD for global sustainable land management contributing to resilient food systems.” UNCCD was set up in 1994 in response to the global challenges of desertification, land degradation and drought and is one of the three global Conventions that emerged from the Rio Earth Summit, alongside climate and biodiversity treaties. UNCCD works with its 197 signatories to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030, a global target enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals. Up to 40 per cent of land worldwide is currently degraded, with dire consequences for our climate, biodiversity and livelihoods. Droughts are up 29 per cent since 2000, driven by both climate change and land degradation. One of the key areas of the new agreement is to support women’s involvement in land management, advancing legitimate and secure land tenure for all, and collecting gender-disaggregated data on the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought. Women’s land rights is the focus of the 2023 Desertification and Drought Day marked worldwide on 17 June under the slogan “Her Land. Her Rights.” “Women are major actors in the global efforts to reduce and reverse land degradation. However, in the vast majority of countries, women have unequal and limited access to and control over land. We cannot achieve land degradation neutrality without gender equality, and we cannot exclude half the population from land management decisions because of their gender," UNCCD Executive Secretary Thiaw added. Switzerland joined UNCCD in 1996 and since then has provided long-standing support to UNCCD through core funding and voluntary contributions. For example, Switzerland’s support was essential to ensure the participation of least developed countries and civil society organizations (CSOs) during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UNCCD held in 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The new agreement will support the implementation of the decisions adopted at the Conference and ensure a diversity of voices in future negotiations under the Convention. In addition, it will reinforce the synergies among the three Rio Conventions, including through nature-based solutions and target-setting at the national level for a more resilient, sustainable future for all. For more information, contact: UNCCD: Ms. Xenya Scanlon Chief, Communications, External Relations and Partnerships T: +49 152 5454 0492 E: press@unccd.int Notes to Editors The contribution from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation for 2023-2024 has four objectives: helping advance the policy work of the Secretariat, in particular with regards to land tenure; fostering land-based opportunities through the CSO Panel; ensuring that technologies and information on sustainable land management practices are in line with the UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework, also with regards to drought and gender; and facilitating the participation of vulnerable groups at UNCCD meetings and processes —this includes least developed country parties, CSOs, women, youth and indigenous peoples’ groups. About UNCCD The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land. We unite governments, scientists, policymakers, private sector and communities around a shared vision and global action to restore and manage the world’s land for the sustainability of humanity and the planet. Much more than an international treaty signed by 197 Parties, UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to mitigating today’s impacts of land degradation and advancing tomorrow’s land stewardship to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner.  

  Dear SPI Co-chairs, Members, Observers, and Early Career Fellows of the SPI, Dear Colleagues, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of you who have ventured from near and far to join us at the UN Campus in Bonn, and to some that have joined online. It is not only the distances involved. It is your time. Your effort. Your commitment. I cannot begin to tell you how much that means to this Convention.  But I can assure you that every minute of your time and effort makes a difference. And the need could not be greater. Among other things, you are all working on an analysis of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report contributions on climate change adaptation and mitigation with respect to UNCCD priorities. From this you will know that the IPCC concluded that:  “…the pace and scale of what has been done so far, and current plans, are simply insufficient. This is why the choices made in the next few years will play a critical role in deciding our future and that of generations to come. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future. If land is part of the climate change solution – and the past work of the SPI and the IPCC make it very clear it must be – we therefore need to provide our Parties the policy options necessary to make it so. And indeed, these should be policy options that are firmly grounded in science. The urgency I am trying to convey does not stop with your IPCC AR6 analysis. Both of your scientific assessment objectives address critical bottlenecks. The first is guidance on pursuing Sustainable Land Use Systems. This will help our Parties optimize what they do where, with the aim of navigating the trade-offs among competing demands for land and achieving multiple benefits. The second is understanding aridity trends, projections and impacts. This will help Parties plan for a future where even more land and even more people may well be impacted by desertification and drought. Responding to the COP mandate for the SPI will require more urgency among all of you. With such tight timelines for delivering the work programme for the biennium 2022 to 2024, it may well require doing things differently. Doing things differently does not come easy for anyone, particularly after years of experience. Which is why I am so encouraged to see new and younger faces among the more senior scientists in the room! It’s going to be a two-way beneficial process – they will learn so much from the rest of you. And you, the experienced scientists will also benefit from new perspectives and fresh ideas. Bear in mind the IPCC focused on ensuring a liveable planet. Those of us closer to my age will not experience the worst of the projections. But all of us have children or other relatives who most certainly will. Which is why the perspectives of the younger generations must figure into our calculus and actions. It is also why I thought you might like to know the views of Ijad Madisch, one of Germany’s most innovative and influential young scientists on “the need to move fast and break things”. You may know him as the founder and CEO of ResearchGate, a tool many of you use to track scientific output and impact, or to network with other scientists. Two things you may not know: First, he is a Syrian refugee who has lived what far too many more will experience in the coming years. And, secondly, after a telephone request from then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he joined the 10-member Digital Council of the Cabinet of Germany. At 38 years of age. Part of the reason Chancellor Merkel chose him was an Op Ed he wrote for the Scientific American calling for a revolution in scientific transparency and accessibility he dubbed the “Science in Real Time; For a Move Fast, Break Things and Talk about It Mentality”. You will be here for the next three intense days. Debating, drafting and redrafting. With your sleeves rolled up, I urge you to move fast, break things and talk about it.  I urge you to make things happen in your work with a sense of urgency that will ultimately influence policy makers to take bold, necessary and evidence-based action. To get there on such tight timelines, you may wish to consider Ijad’s suggestion that you find a way to share your results, methods, questions, failures and everything in between as early as you can. Perhaps through some form of preprint that can lead to greater insights before things are finalized. As Ijad argues, whether or not it is right early on in the process is not the issue. Rather, failures are discoveries in disguise. Looking at everything that hasn’t worked will inevitably eventually lead to something that does. And maybe something far more relevant to policy makers since the feedback you may receive will become part of the results you obtain. In the domain of high tech start-ups, they say “Fail, and fail fast”. Failure is not a risk to be avoided. It is the basis for disruptive progress that could move your work from confirmational science to something that helps drive much needed change in the world. But this will only happen if you consider this work as a vital part of the solution, working with the same sense of urgency that the IPCC has requested of all of us. With this, I thank you again for stepping up to help us all bridge science and policy. And I wish you a disruptive but productive week! Thank you