UNITED NATIONS

JOURNAL

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties
17–28 August 2026
UNCCD
Saturday, 22 August 2026
Content last updated on: 17 Sep 2026 17:01 CEST

Programme of Meetings and Agenda

There are no official meetings on this day.

Contact groups

10:00–20:00
MET-11

CoW Contact Group on Other Matters

(closed meeting)
10:00–13:00
MET-12

Joint CRIC/CST Contact Group

(closed meeting)
15:00–20:00
MET-15

CoW Contact Group on Budget

(closed meeting)
15:00–20:00
MET-12

CRIC Contact Group

(closed meeting)
15:00–20:00
MET-13

CST Contact Group

(closed meeting)

Regional consultations

The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
09:30–10:30
MET-27

JUSCANZ

(closed meeting)

Other meetings

The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
08:00–10:00
MET-24

Indigenous Peoples Caucus

(closed meeting)
09:00–18:00
MET-22

Advanced UNCCD Women Delegates Fund Negociation Training

(closed meeting)
10:00–13:00
MET-14

Restoration Economy Roundtable (21-22 August)

(closed meeting)
13:00–17:00
MET-24

COP 17 National Committee

(closed meeting)
13:00–15:00
MET-20

INFORMAL INFORMAL CONSULTATION WITH INSTERESTED PARTIES ON THE BLOCKED AGENDA ITEMS

(closed meeting)

Side events

The information below is reproduced as received and does not imply any opinion or endorsement by the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
08:30–10:00
MET-06

136 (Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa) Restoring Land, Restoring Hope: Faith Communities as Partners in Land Restoration

08:30–10:00
MET-04

139 (UNCCD CLP Africa) From Local Communities to Resilient Landscapes: Empowering African Cooperatives for Sustainable Land Restoration and Data-Driven Drought Resilience

08:30–10:00
MET-03

159 (Community of Learning and Practice on Drought Management (CLP)) Bridging Drought Data Gaps to Inform Decision-making: From Measurement to Action

08:30–10:00
MET-30

173 (Resilient40) Restoring Land, Restoring Hope: Youth Leadership for Resilient Futures

08:30–10:00
MET-02

391 (UNECE) Healthy Rangelands, Flowing Rivers: A Nature-Based Solution to Water Security in Central Asia

08:30–10:00
MET-01

398 (UNU-EHS) Tackling aridity and drought risks across the Rio Conventions, the Convention on Wetlands and the Sendai Framework

10:30–12:00
MET-06

369 (International Development Law Organization (IDLO); Steps without Borders NGO; University of Oxford, School of Geography and the Environment) Safeguarding pastoralist lands through Social Impact Assessment

10:30–12:00
MET-03

416 (Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and Community Land Rights and Conservation Finance Initiative (CLARIFI), IMPACT Kenya, MPIDO, ILEPA and AFPAT) Investing in Pastoralism: Unlocking Climate Finance and Partnerships for African Pastoralist Systems

10:30–12:00
MET-05

669 (DryNet, CENESTA, SPONG, ICCA Consortium, IUCN) Indigenous Nomadic Pastoralists’ Territories of Life: Pathways to Rangeland Restoration and Dryland Resilience

10:30–12:00
MET-31

672 (University of Regina) Equipping the Next Generation of Land Heroes: Youth-Led Gardens as Engines of Sustainable Land Management

10:30–12:00
MET-01

676 (Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment) One Billion Trees Presidential Greening Programme: Showcasing South Africa’s efforts in addressing environmental crisis including desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD)

10:30–12:00
MET-04

810 (People, Food and Land Foundation) Coordinating Land Restoration at Scale

13:00–14:30
MET-03

299 (DesertNet International; ECB Sustainable Youth Foundation; New Mexico State University; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jornada Experimental Range) Managing Connectivity of Wind, Water, and Livestock for Dryland Restoration

13:00–14:30
MET-06

359 (South Asian Forum for Environment) Land-Food-Climate: The Neo- Nexus Poverty Trap in Global South

13:00–14:30
MET-01

557 (Ministry for Foreign Affairs Iceland/GRÓ/Green Gold - Mongolian Rangeland Research Center) Partners in Restoration: Iceland and Mongolia for resilient social-ecological landscapes

13:00–14:30
MET-04

639 (São Francisco and Parnaíba Valleys Development Company (CODEVASF)) South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Rural Development in Drylands: good practices from Brazil and Côte d'Ivoire

13:00–14:30
MET-05

689 (Emam for Culture and Development NGO) AI for Land Restoration: Youth Innovation for Combating Desertification in the Global South

15:00–16:30
MET-06

231 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Land Coalition, Landesa, TMG Research, UNCCD, UNEP-WCMC) From Commitment to Accountability: Strengthening Land Tenure Indicators Across the Rio Conventions

15:00–16:30
MET-02

249 (African Union Commission (AUC), African Development Bank (AfDB), UNCCD,Pan-african Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW)) Ease of Preparation and Funding of Projects and Programs of the Great Green Wall

15:00–16:30
MET-07

290 (IUCN) The Global Coalition of Rangeland States: Charting a Shared Agenda for Finance, Partnerships and Action

15:00–16:30
MET-03

364 ( Yolda Initiative, Cenesta, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists (GA4RP), ICCA Consortium, International Land Coalition (ILC), Shan Shui Conservation Center, JASIL / ICCA Mongolia Working Group, UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, United Nati

15:00–16:30
MET-04

386 (CMS Secretariat, National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists, Yolda Initiative) Sustainable Rangelands for Pastoralists, Migratory Species and Climate Resilience

15:00–16:30
MET-31

504 (Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and CGIAR - Multifunctional Landscapes Program) Restore land, restore hope: Bridging the Science-Policy-Finance Gap for Rio Nexus Action

15:00–16:30
MET-01

509 (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in collaboration with the UNCCD Secretariat, Science, Technology and Innovation Unit; Global Mechanism of the UNCCD; ORMEX; UNDP Mongolia; International Rice Research Institute (IRRI, TBC);

15:00–16:30
MET-05

649 (UNCCD Youth Caucus, International Land Coalition (ILC), Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (Yilaa), Multi-stakeholder Platform on Youth Land Governance (YLMPA), RBM) CULTIVATING RESILIENCE: YOUTH-CENTRED POLICIES AS THE CATALYST AGAINST DROUGHT AND

18:00–19:30
MET-07

162 (International Livestock Research Institute) Launch of the STELARR Rangelands Restoration Investment Hub

18:00–19:30
MET-05

311 (Chinese Academy of Forestry, General Secretariat of the League of Arab States) Enlarged Meeting of the Steering Committee of the China-Arab International Research Center for Drought, Desertification and Land Degradation and the China-Arab Cooperation

18:00–19:30
MET-01

512 (Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment; Department of Agriculture; South African National Biodiversity Institute; South African National parks; Agricultural Research Council) UNCCD LDN TSP 2 South Africa: Report on multidimensional ind

18:00–19:30
MET-31

678 (Ambition Loop/Drought and Water Resilience Breakthrough Coalition) The Rangelands-Drought Nexus: Unlocking Co-Benefits Through Integrated and Inclusive Land Governance

18:00–19:30
MET-06

703 (Youth initiative for land in Africa, Yilaa /DRC) Youth, Peace and Land Restoration in Conflict-Affected Areas in the DRC

18:00–19:30
MET-04

721 (IUCN/G20 Global Land Initative, UNCCD) Tracking Restoration Reality: Launch of the Global Land Restoration Achievements 2026 Report

Action Dome

08:00–08:30
Action Dome

Wellness Session

10:00–11:30
Action Dome

From the Ground Up: Frontline Voices on Land Restoration

Hear directly from frontline practitioners at COP as they share real-world experiences in community-led land restoration and ecosystem restoration. This G20 Global Land Initiative session highlights sustainable models and youth-driven ecopreneurship.
11:30–13:00
Action Dome

The Next Fire Won’t Wait: Turning Knowledge, Technology and Community Action into Resilience

Join experts at COP to explore how technology and traditional knowledge can prevent wildfires and enhance ecosystem restoration. Discover collaborative strategies for land restoration supported by the G20 Global Land Initiative.
13:00–13:30
Action Dome

Wellness Session

13:30–14:30
Action Dome

Daily IDRO Demo: Inside the BEEM Lab

14:30–16:00
Action Dome

From Challenge to Change: The Business of Land Restoration

Join partners at COP17 to explore the business case for land restoration. Discover how to scale enterprises, attract investment, and turn environmental challenges into economic opportunities.
16:00–17:30
Action Dome

The Inner Dimension of the Restoration Industry

An informal, interactive dialogue exploring the human and inner dimensions of landscape restoration: the values, purpose, leadership, and connection to nature that motivate and sustain restoration efforts. Through small-group conversations over participants will reflect on how these elements can complement science, technology, finance, and policy to build a more resilient and inclusive restoration industry.
17:30–19:00
Action Dome

Indigenous Peoples & Foods

Experience 'Before More Is Lost,' a film about a Himalayan community's journey to revive indigenous knowledge and food sovereignty.

Forthcoming official meetings
Monday, 24 August 2026

Conference of the Parties

09:00–10:30
Plenary Hall

COP 17 High-Level Segment Opening Ceremony

11:00–14:00
Plenary Hall

COP 4th meeting

Ministerial Dialogue on Innovative Financial Mechanisms for Healthy Land and Drought Resilience
 

Speakers List

The following lists indicate the order in which the moderator or co-chairs will invite interventions from the floor: starting with Ministers, then Vice (Deputy) Ministers, Heads of Delegations, and principals of accredited observer organizations, including UN entities, international and regional organizations, and civil society organizations. 

Given the limited time available and to maximize participation, all speakers in the Ministerial Dialogue will have a maximum of three minutes to deliver their statements. Microphones will be on a timer and will automatically cut off after three minutes. Those representatives not in their seats when called will automatically go to the end of the speakers list.

 

Ministers

India, Uzbekistan, Côte d'Ivoire, Haiti, Lesotho, Guyana, Guinea, Botswana, State of Palestine, Bhutan, Tajikistan, Madagascar, Chad, Oman, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mali, Iran, Maldives, Solomon Islands, Central African Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uganda, Senegal, Zimbabwe, United Arab Emirates, Cameroon, Marshall Islands, Kenya, Nigeria, Eswatini, Tuvalu

 

Vice Ministers

Republic of Korea, Azerbaijan, Uruguay, Mauritania, Costa Rica, Russia, Burkina Faso, Philippines, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Ireland, Ecuador, Laos, Timor-Leste, Türkiye, Georgia, Burundi, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Dominican Republic

 

Heads of Delegation

Iraq, Tanzania, Thailand, Spain, Zambia, Australia, European Union, Thailand, Liberia, Morocco, France, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, United Kingdom, Sudan, Egypt, Belarus, Algeria, Togo, Israel, Guatemala, Mexico

 

Observers

UN-Habitat, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Permanent Interstate Committee for drought control in the Sahel (CILSS), Indigenous Peoples Caucus, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Green Climate Fund (GCF), Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), African Union (AU), Pastoralist Goals Foundation, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

 

15:00–18:00
Plenary Hall

COP 5th meeting

Ministerial Dialogue on Innovative Financial Mechanisms for Healthy Land and Drought Resilience

Continued from the morning session