City of Bonn celebrates the UNCCD journey toward land in balance

Bonn, Germany – The Mayor of Bonn Ashok Sridharan welcomed guests to the Old City Hall in the historic Market Place on 30 September to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of UNCCD and its twenty years in the city that leads the global sustainability movement. 

Bonn is home to twenty UN organizations dedicated to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as a way to a more sustainable, resilient and equal future. For 25 years, UNCCD has dedicated its efforts to promoting the sustainable way of living and working on land, the foundation of all life. As both the Mayor and the UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw remarked, keeping land in balance is a way to keep the nature and communities healthy and thriving, too. 

Speaking of UNCCD as the only international legally binding agreement that promotes good land stewardship, Mr. Thiaw also reminded the audience that land degradation has become a truly global issue on par with climate change, with every country in the world affected. Tackling these issues will require concerted action on land, climate and biodiversity with active involvement of governments, organizations and civil society both globally and locally.

Remarking on the long and successful cooperation between the city and UNCCD, the Mayor highlighted the role of local governments in the worldwide movement for sustainable development. A new ten-year programme called “Urban Era 4 Life,“ developed by the City of Bonn in cooperation with ICLEI, will be one of the headliners during the upcoming June Climate Talks in Bonn in 2020. 

Another exciting initiative that will take place in the city is the Pastoral Project to celebrate the 250 anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven and promote resilient communities, with artists and musicians connecting Beethoven’s music to land, nature and climate.

Read more:

• The press release in English and German
• The speech of UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw