Postponement and rescheduling of COP15

Message to Parties and Observers from the UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw

I would like to inform Parties and observers to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, that, at its intersessional meeting held on 08 April 2021, the Bureau of the fourteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP14 Bureau), addressed under its agenda item II, matters related to the “Date and venue of COP15”. On that occasion the COP14 Bureau decided the following:

In due consideration to the ongoing challenges posed by the evolution of the COVID19 pandemic worldwide, the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) due to be held in autumn 2021 (decision 33/COP.14) will be postponed and rescheduled between May and October 2022, at a venue to be confirmed in due course.

An extraordinary session of the COP will be organized in a virtual format in 2021 to adopt an interim budget. The modalities, timing, and procedure for such a session will be further clarified by the Bureau in a subsequent meeting and accordingly shared with Parties.

The secretariat will continue to ensure that Parties are fully updated on these important matters on a regular basis.