UNCCD and partners to host first-ever Land and Drought Pavilion at COP28

Land & Drought Pavilion to be set in the Blue Zone / Opportunities Petal from 1-10 December

Bonn (Germany), 23/11/2023 – To mark their presence at the UN Climate Conference (COP28), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be co-hosting the first-ever Land & Drought Pavilion together with its two flagship initiatives: the G20 Global Land Initiative and the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), as well as partners, the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).

From 1st to 10th December, the Pavilion will curate a broad range of high-level dialogues, innovation showcase sessions, and interactive discussions highlighting the importance of healthy land as a climate solution and the urgent need to build drought resilience.

UNCCD will also be launching its Drought in Numbers 2023 report and announcing next year’s Desertification and Drought Day– which will mark the 30th anniversary of the Convention.

All sessions will be open to accredited COP28 delegates and held in the Blue Zone / Opportunities Petal, Thematic Arena 4, 1st floor, stand 205 and livestreamed on UNCCD’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

Among the highlights of the programme:

• The Opening Dialogue, Raising Land & Drought on the Climate Agenda on 1 December will convene partners and experts to discuss expected outcomes from land and drought conversations at COP28.
• The high-level event of the International Drought Resilience Alliance co-chaired by Spain and Senegal leaders on 1 December will see the launch of Drought in Numbers 2023 report. IDRA will also welcome new member countries and update on progress achieved thus far.
• A high-level event “Rio Conventions on the Road to 2024” will bring together the leadership of the three Rio Conventions: CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD.
• A high-level dialogue on women’s land rights will be hosted on 4th December, which will also coincide with Gender Equality Day at COP28.
• On 6th December, several start-ups will gather in the Pavilion to showcase their land restoration innovations, in a hackathon format.
• A high-level session will take place on 9th December, where the Convention will announce the host country of the next Desertification and Drought Day, 17 June 2024. Remarks from high-level representatives from the host country and city are expected.
• Youth-led dialogues, including panels on empowering female ecopreneurship and a Youth4Land Intergenerational Dialogue.
• A ‘Dry delights reception’ will be hosted on the last day of the Pavilion (10th December). Experts will showcase drought-resilient foods, namely water lentils, explaining the production process, walking attendees through its nutritional benefits, and providing an opportunity to taste.

Notes to Editors

The detailed programme and timings can be found here: https://unccd.int/cop28pavilion

Daily highlights from the sessions will be available on UNCCD’s website.

Visual assets are available here: https://trello.com/b/6EexwgYj/unccd-cop28-dubai-2023

For additional information on UNCCD’s presence at COP28 and other media-related enquiries, please contact press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int) and/or unccd [at] portland-communications.com (unccd[at]portland-communications[dot]com)

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.