10th Nevsky International Ecological Congress: Message from Ibrahim Thiaw

Excellencies, dear Friends,  

It is a pleasure for me to address you today from the headquarters of the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

Let me begin by expressing my recognition to the Russian Federation for hosting this event. The Nevsky Congress is a clear testimony of the paramount importance of the environmental agenda.  

No corner of the globe is immune from the devastating consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and drought.  

Sea levels are rising, oceans are acidifying, the Arctic is melting, forests are burning, weather extremes are intensifying.  

Droughts hit everywhere and with more intensity.  

Rising temperatures are fuelling environmental degradation and economic deterioration. 

Therefore, the theme of today´s meeting “Ecology: a right, not a privilege” couldn’t be more relevant.  

We cannot afford to take today´ situation for granted.  

Resolute and concerted actions are needed for the sake of present and future generations;  

for their right to a decent life and environment.  

However, all rights go hand in hand with responsibilities.  

And our collective responsibility is to think about our Planet and to take care of the land which belongs to us all. 

Without urgent action on how we use and steward our land, we cannot aspire to sustainable development for all.  

Land generates the food we eat. Land produces the fibre necessary to our clothing.

The water we drink is coming from terrestrial ecosystems.  

The quality of the air we breathe also partly depends on the health of our land.  

Therefore, I would like to call upon all the participants here today to think about land restoration as a powerful and cost-effective sustainable development tool.  

Investing in large-scale land restoration to build resilience to drought, combat soil erosion, and loss of agricultural production is a win-win solution for everybody:  

for the environment, for the climate, for the economy, and for the livelihoods of local communities.  

Sustainable agriculture and nature-based solutions are a smart way to increase food production, stabilize climate, create employment, and wealth and prosperity.  

These challenges are of importance to all.  

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Next year will mark the 30^th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.  

2024 is also the year of COP16 of the Convention, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification is the only legally binding global treaty set up to address land degradation and the effects of drought.  

Next year’s Nevsky International Congress may therefore be a good platform to discuss these issues. Sharing and enhancing knowledge on drought resilience, sustainable land management and restoration is key to improving land and livelihoods.  

UNCCD stands ready to provide it’s support.  

I wish you a successful and fruitful meeting and a productive discussion. 

Spasíbo. Thank you very much for your attention!