Madam President, Dear Bureau members, It is, as ever, a pleasure to speak to you and work with you, regardless of the distance the pandemic has forced upon us. I hope that everyone is holding up during what has been a long and wearying period for us all. I commend your continued commitment to our…
A statement by UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw After a year in which COVID-19 has swept the world, killing almost three million people – so far – and devastating the global economy, today’s World Health Day is a moment to reflect. This year’s theme of "Building a fairer, healthier world for…
Remarks by UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw Your Excellency Chairperson Ambassador Ammo Aziza Baroud, Excellencies Permanent Representatives, Ambassador Fatima Mohamed, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is indeed a real pleasure to address you today in my capacity as the…
Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, has welcomed the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives that were made public this week. The Initiatives aim, among other things, to restore roughly 240 million hectares of degraded land in Saudi Arabia and…
Monsieur le Président du CRIC, Monsieur le Vice-Président, Cinq jours de débats en ligne, en raison de 2 heures par jour, n’auront naturellement pas suffi pour remplir pleinement notre mandat de revue de la mise en œuvre de la Convention. La situation est loin d’être idéale. Grâce à votre…
Remarks by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw Welcome to the nineteenth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention. This is a unique session, for reasons that we would have preferred to avoid. This is the first session of the UNCCD to be held online. The…
Statement by UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw This year International Women’s Day celebrates the theme ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world’. After a year of unprecedented impacts from the pandemic, it’s clear that women globally have been disproportionately…
This year World Wildlife Day celebrates the theme ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet’. Currently, up to 350 million people live within or close by forests, including some of our most ecologically diverse ecosystems.
In this corner of the UNCCD, I will occasionally share my thoughts and highlight significant developments of interest to our readers and stakeholders. As with most international organizations, COVID-19 impacted our work. But I am convinced that we are moving in the right direction and that now is…
Statement by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw Arabic | Chinese | French | Russian | Spanish Joseph Biden Jr., President of the United States, issued an Executive Order yesterday outlining the bold steps his administration will take to tackle the climate crisis at home and throughout…
The Climate Ambition Summit of this month marks the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement. World leaders meeting online are being asked to deliver stronger, more ambitious commitments that will spark action to halt the unfolding climate crisis.
Co-Chairs, Council members, Fellow colleagues Heads of the Conventions’ secretariats, Ladies and Gentlemen: First, allow me to express my gratitude to Dr Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, for his kind invitation. I wish him great success in his new role as CEO of the Global Environmental Facility. We are…
Your Excellency Barbara CREECY, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries of South Africa and Chairperson of AMCEN, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for bringing us together today to address an urgent threat to humanity. The COVID-19 is more than a health crisis. It is a socio…
Statement of UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw on the Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats The world’s 20 most powerful economies have launched an initiative to protect land. The Leaders’ Declaration issued Sunday, 22 November 2020…
By UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw The German Advisory Council on Global Change’s recent report, Rethinking Land in the Anthropocene: from Separation to Integration, makes it abundantly clear that we need a fundamental change in how we manage the land to limit climate change, reverse…
Madame la Première ministre du Togo, Chers panélistes, Chers participants, La question de savoir comment créer de la richesse pour les jeunes à partir de la terre peut paraître surprenante. Prenons le cas de l’alimentation. La terre nourrit 7 milliards d’êtres humains. Aussi, si vous n’avez consommé…
By UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw for devex.com This year, the world marked the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in the midst of global calamity and uncertainty of an unprecedented scale. Yet we were also reminded that throughout history, great crises give rise to extraordinary…
By UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw for Thompson Reuters Foundation News COVID 19 has devastated communities in many regions of the world, including Africa. Leaders face two stark choices for the future: reverting to the unbridled self-interest that drove states, or breaking boldly with the…
Plants, animals and humans – all forms of life on Earth depend on healthy soil. Soil is the basis of all terrestrial ecosystems, supporting our food and water security while playing an important part in reducing the impacts of climate change, yet its status and its biodiversity are often overlooked…
In many parts of the world, autumn is the time to gather the harvest and count our blessings. This year’s trials and tribulations have taught us that while we can count on blessings bestowed by other humans to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, we are wholly dependent on blessings bestowed by nature to…
