UNITED NATIONS JOURNAL United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Sixteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) 2–13 December 2024 UNCCD Monday, 2 December 2024 Content last updated on: 2 Dec 2024 22:09 CET
Programme of Meetings and Agenda Conference of the Parties 9:30 - 10:00 am Plenary Hall Opening Ceremony 10 am - 1 pm Plenary Hall COP 1st meeting Opening of the session by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth session Organizational matters [item 1] (a) Election of the President Statement by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its sixteenth session Welcome remarks by the Mayor of Riyadh Opening remarks by the United Nations Deputy Secretary General (video) Welcome remarks by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Statement by the Prime Minister of Mongolia, official host of the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties Statement by the Prime Minister of Niger Keynote speaker, Mr. Johan Rockström (Special Report on Land) Presentation of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience partnership (MEWA) (video) Statement by the Islamic Development Bank President on behalf of the Arab Coordination Group Announcement by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its sixteenth session on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Statements by the representatives of regional and interest groups Statement by a representative of civil society organizations 3 - 6 pm Plenary Hall COP 2nd meeting Organizational matters [item 1] (b) Adoption of the agenda (ICCD/COP(16)/1) (c) Election of officers other than the President: (i) Election of Vice-Presidents (e) Accreditation of intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations and representatives from the private sector, and admission of observers (ICCD/COP(16)/14) (f) Organization of work, including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies 3 - 6 pm Main Committee Room Ministerial Dialogue on Drought Resilience: "From Geneva to Riyadh and beyond, enhancing global and national policy instruments for a proactive drought management approach" Committee of the Whole 3 - 6 pm Plenary Hall COW 1st meeting Following immediately after the adjournment of the 2nd meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Programme and budget [item 6] (a) Programme and budget for the biennium 2025–2026 (ICCD/COP(16)/5, ICCD/COP(16)/6-ICCD/CRIC(22)/2, ICCD/COP(16)/22) (b) Financial performance for the Convention trust funds (ICCD/COP(16)/7, ICCD/CRIC(22)/3) - Audited financial statements for the Convention trust funds (ICCD/COP(16)/8, ICCD/COP(16)/9) - Report on the status of contributions to the Convention trust funds (2022–2024) (ICCD/COP(16)/10) (c) Report of the Evaluation Office (ICCD/COP(16)/11, ICCD/COP(16)/22) Introduction and discussion Policy frameworks and thematic issues [item 4] - Drought (ICCD/COP(16)/15, ICCD/COP(16)/20, ICCD/COP(16)/22) Introduction and discussion Contact groups 5:45 - 7:45 pm MET-16 Contact group on programme and budget (closed meeting) Regional consultations The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 2 - 3 pm MET-28 JUSCANZ (closed meeting) Action agenda 6 - 7 pm C-17 Inauguration of the Resilience Pavilion: Launch of International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO) and Global Drought Atlas Explore the prototype of the first global, AI-powered data platform for proactive drought management and an initiative of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) to help analyze and visualize key social and environmental drought resilience indicators and support practical decisions. As record-breaking droughts are becoming a new normal around the globe, the UNCCD and the European Commission Joint Research Centre launch the most comprehensive global publication on drought risks and solutions as an urgent wake-up call for world leaders and citizens. Other meetings The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 1 - 2 pm MET-32 Group of Arab States Coordination Meeting (closed meeting) 1:15 - 2:30 pm MET-17 COP 16 Opening press conference 5:45 - 7:30 pm MET-15 CoW-Contact group on other matters (closed meeting) 6:00 - 8:30 pm MET-26 Interregional Group Central Asia-Russia (closed meeting) Forthcoming official meetings Tuesday, 3 December 2024 Conference of the Parties 10 am - 1 pm Main Committee Room COP 3rd meeting Ministerial dialogue on finance: “Unlocking public and private finance for land restoration and drought resilience” (item 5 a ii) The ministerial dialogue addresses the critical need for increased investments to combat land degradation, desertification, and drought, which cost the global economy 10 trillion USD annually. Public finance supports long-term restoration projects, while private finance introduces innovative tools like green bonds and impact investing. 2 - 5 pm Plenary Hall COP 4th meeting Ministerial Dialogue: Impacts of Land Degradation and Drought on Forced Migration, Security and Prosperity (item 5 a iii) The ministerial dialogue will examine how sustainable land management (SLM) and drought resilience can address the interconnected challenges of land degradation, forced migration, and conflict. With 3.2 billion people globally affected by land degradation and over 120 million forcibly displaced, these issues undermine stability, security and livelihoods. High Level Segment - Closing Session, beginning at 4:30 p.m. 3 - 6 pm MET-09 COP 5th meeting Formal statements session List of speakers and their statements GABON Her Excellency Ms. Arcadie Svetlana Minguengui Ndomba, Minister of Environment, Climate and Human-Wildlife Conflict Read Statement BANGLADESH Her Excellency Ms. Syeda Rizwana Hasan Minister (Advisor), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Read Statement MALI Her Excellency Ms. Doumbia Mariam Tangara, Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development Read Statement REPUBLIC OF GUINEA Read Statement THE REPUBLIC OF MADAGASCAR Read Statement LESOTHO His Excellency Mr. Letsema Adontsi, Minister of Environment and Forestry Read Statement NICARAGUA His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Farrara Lashtar, Minister Advisor to the President of the Republic for Africa, the Middle East, and Arab Countries Read Statement UNITED ARAB EMIRATES His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment Read Statement FRANCE His Excellency Mr. Thani Mohamed Soilihi, Secretary of State for Francophonie and International Partnerships Read Statement SPAIN His Excellency Mr. Hugo Alfonso Moran Fernández, Secretary of State for the Environment Read Statement SERBIA Read Statement PORTUGAL His Excellency Mr. Emídio Sousa, Secretary of State for Environment Read Statement SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC His Excellency Mr. Moutaz Douaji, Deputy Minister of Local Administration and Environment Read Statement UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA His Excellency Mr. Khamis Hamza Khamis Deputy Minister from the Vice President's Office (Union and Environment) Read Statement AUSTRALIA Ms Kim Farrant, Assistant Secretary, Future Drought Fund Strategy and Delivery Branch, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Read Statement DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Mr. Toirambe Bamoninga Benjamin, Secretary General for the Environment and Sustainable Development Read Statement SURINAME Mr. Iemdaad Nasser Rodjan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment Read Statement ARMENIA Ms. Narine Hakobyan, Deputy Head of Land and Underground resources policy Department of The Ministry of Environment Read Statement CANADA His Excellency Mr. Jean-Philippe Linteau Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Read Statement BARBADOS The Hon. Mr. Adrian Forde Minister of Environment and National Beautification Read Statement SRI LANKA His Excellency Mr. Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Read Statement PHILIPPINES Mr. Rommel A. Romato, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Philippines in Riyadh Read Statement NEPAL Mr. Rajendra KC, Head of Delegation Read Statement PANAMA Ms. Erika Gomez, Lead Negotiator Read Statement MONGOLIA Read Statement International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Ms. Grethel Aguilar, Director General Read Statement Foundation for the Development of the Dry and Semi-Arid Zones of Mesoamerica Ms. Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division Read Statement UNCCD Interregional Group Central Asia - Russia Read Statement Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention 10 am - 1 pm Plenary Hall CRIC 1st meeting Opening of the twenty-second session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention by the Chair of the Committee Statement by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Statements by representatives of the regional and interest groups and a representative of non-governmental organizations Organizational matters [item 1] (a) Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (ICCD/CRIC(22)/1) (b) Election of officers other than the Chair of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels [item 2] (b) Multi-year workplan for Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(16)/6-ICCD/CRIC(22)/2, ICCD/COP(16)/22/Add.1) (c) Performance of Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/CRIC(22)/3) (a) Review of the report of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention on its twenty-first session (ICCD/CRIC(21)/11 and ICCD/CRIC(22)/8) Introduction and discussion Committee on Science and Technology 3 - 6 pm Main Committee CST 1st meeting Opening of the sixteenth session of the Committee on Science and Technology by the Chair of the Committee Statement by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Statements by representatives of the regional and interest groups and a representative of non-governmental organizations Organizational matters [item 1] (a) Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (ICCD/COP(16)/CST/1) (b) Election of officers other than the Chair of the Committee on Science and Technology Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the triennium 2022–2024 [item 2] (a) Evidence on sustainable land use systems and their potential to address desertification/land degradation and drought (ICCD/COP(16)/CST/2, ICCD/COP(16)/CST/10) (b) Evidence on historical global and regional aridity trends and future projections that may contribute to expanding drylands and affected populations and the adaptation approaches (ICCD/COP(16)/CST/3, ICCD/COP(16)/CST/10) Interactive dialogue Introduction and discussion Announcements Registration for Delegates Registration for delegations of country Parties, United Nations organisations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, side event participants, media and other participants will take place as follows: Any changes to the opening hours of the registration desk will be communicated in the Official Journal of the session. Identity badges will be issued at the time of registration, and participants are requested to wear them at all times, as they will not be allowed access to the session venue without presenting them. Changwon Pavilion: Advancing Land Restoration Neutrality Goals (Blue Zone, D) The Changwon Pavilion, rooted in the Republic of Korea’s Changwon Initiative launched at COP10, brings renewed focus to combating desertification and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). Located in Zone D/D13, this pavilion offers a dynamic platform for events showcasing forestry innovations, land restoration techniques, and global partnerships driving progress toward SDG15.3. Attendees can engage with diverse initiatives aimed at reversing land degradation while celebrating the enduring legacy of this visionary commitment to sustainable land use. Resilience Pavilion: Pioneering Drought Solutions (Pavilion C17) As drought’s severe impacts on economies and societies take center stage at UNCCD COP 16, the Resilience Pavilion emerges as a hub for innovation and action. Supported by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), this pavilion will spotlight groundbreaking solutions to prepare for and adapt to harsher droughts. A highlight is the unveiling of International Drought Resilience Observatory, the world’s first AI-powered global data platform designed to assess and enhance drought resilience. An immersive experience will offer COP 16 participants a glimpse into this innovative platform, which is in the prototype stage and is expected to launch at COP 17 in 2026. Credentials Delegations are advised to contact Ms. Aphrodite Smagadi (00966 568701092) and Mr. Stadler Trengove (00966 568682169), AREA B, Office n^o 11 – Legal Office as soon as possible. Electronic Information Service Delegations are advised that wireless internet access is available throughout the venue. The network name is COP16 Public, and no password is required. A Computer Center is located in Area-C, providing 100 workstations and printing facilities. An ICT Helpdesk counter is also available in the same area to assist with technical support. A link to the stream of the meetings of the COP 16 session can be found on the UN Web TV website, the COP 16 page of the UNCCD website. Lost and Found The Lost and Found service is located near the Registration area, offering convenient access near the Main Entrance. Medical Support and Emergency Response Medical services will be provided throughout the event by qualified healthcare professionals, ensuring that assistance is readily available. The Medical Care Center is located near the Registration area, close to the Main Entrance. Emergency Response: Immediate Action: Medical vehicles will be stationed on-site to ensure a rapid response in case of emergencies. Coordination with Local Services: Collaboration with local emergency teams will be ensured to manage serious medical situations effectively. Health and Safety Standards: All procedures will adhere to the most current guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health authorities. Ambulance Placement: Ambulances will be strategically located at key areas, including the Blue Zone and VIP sections, to ensure quick access to medical care. You can find a list of Emergency Contact Numbers here. The KSA Emergency number is 112 (reachable without a SIM card). Meeting Rooms for Regional and Interest Groups Requests for inclusion in the schedule of meetings of regional and interest groups should be communicated to: Kayhan UI (kul [at] unccd.int (kul[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-544050235) or Mahamadou Tari Bako (mbako [at] unccd.int (mbako[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-568723965). Shuttle Service and Interactive Map To facilitate seamless transportation during COP 16, a dedicated shuttle service has been arranged between the conference venue and official hotels. Use our Interactive Map to explore routes and locations, including shuttle pickup and drop-off points, along with timetables for transportation between hotels, the venue, and the airport. This resource is also available in the app under COP 16 Information. We encourage participants to use the shuttle service to minimize environmental impact and ease transportation logistics. Thank you for contributing to a sustainable COP 16! The UNCCD Conference App The UNCCD Conference App is an easy tool for participants of official UNCCD events to have access to the latest conference schedules, all official documents and other relevant information related to the UNCCD process and conference logistics. It also provides information on the latest up-to-date schedule of events. The UNCCD Conference App is relevant for all delegates and other participants of all sessions of the UNCCD Conference of Parties (COP), the Committee of Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC).

UNITED NATIONS

JOURNAL

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Sixteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16)
2–13 December 2024

UNCCD

Monday, 2 December 2024

Content last updated on: 2 Dec 2024 22:09 CET

Programme of Meetings and Agenda

Conference of the Parties

9:30 - 10:00 am

Plenary Hall

Opening Ceremony

10 am - 1 pm

Plenary Hall

COP 1st meeting

Opening of the session by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth session

Organizational matters [item 1]

(a) Election of the President

Statement by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its sixteenth session

Welcome remarks by the Mayor of Riyadh

Opening remarks by the United Nations Deputy Secretary General (video)

Welcome remarks by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Statement by the Prime Minister of Mongolia, official host of the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties

Statement by the Prime Minister of Niger

Keynote speaker, Mr. Johan Rockström (Special Report on Land)

Presentation of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience partnership (MEWA) (video)

Statement by the Islamic Development Bank President on behalf of the Arab Coordination Group

Announcement by the President of the Conference of the Parties at its sixteenth session on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Statements by the representatives of regional and interest groups

Statement by a representative of civil society organizations

3 - 6 pm

Plenary Hall

COP 2nd meeting

Organizational matters [item 1]

(b) Adoption of the agenda (ICCD/COP(16)/1)

(i) Election of Vice-Presidents

(e) Accreditation of intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations and representatives from the private sector, and admission of observers (ICCD/COP(16)/14)

(f) Organization of work, including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies

3 - 6 pm

Main Committee Room

Ministerial Dialogue on Drought Resilience: "From Geneva to Riyadh and beyond, enhancing global and national policy instruments for a proactive drought management approach"

Committee of the Whole

3 - 6 pm

Plenary Hall

COW 1st meeting

Following immediately after the adjournment of the 2nd meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

Programme and budget [item 6]

(a) Programme and budget for the biennium 2025–2026 (ICCD/COP(16)/5, ICCD/COP(16)/6-ICCD/CRIC(22)/2, ICCD/COP(16)/22)

(b) Financial performance for the Convention trust funds (ICCD/COP(16)/7, ICCD/CRIC(22)/3)

- Audited financial statements for the Convention trust funds (ICCD/COP(16)/8, ICCD/COP(16)/9)

- Report on the status of contributions to the Convention trust funds (2022–2024) (ICCD/COP(16)/10)

Introduction and discussion

Policy frameworks and thematic issues [item 4]

- Drought (ICCD/COP(16)/15, ICCD/COP(16)/20, ICCD/COP(16)/22)

Introduction and discussion

Contact groups

5:45 - 7:45 pm

MET-16

Contact group on programme and budget

(closed meeting)

Regional consultations

The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

2 - 3 pm

MET-28

JUSCANZ

(closed meeting)

Action agenda

6 - 7 pm

C-17

Inauguration of the Resilience Pavilion: Launch of International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO) and Global Drought Atlas

Explore the prototype of the first global, AI-powered data platform for proactive drought management and an initiative of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) to help analyze and visualize key social and environmental drought resilience indicators and support practical decisions.

As record-breaking droughts are becoming a new normal around the globe, the UNCCD and the European Commission Joint Research Centre launch the most comprehensive global publication on drought risks and solutions as an urgent wake-up call for world leaders and citizens.

Other meetings

The designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

1 - 2 pm

MET-32

Group of Arab States Coordination Meeting

(closed meeting)

1:15 - 2:30 pm

MET-17

COP 16 Opening press conference

5:45 - 7:30 pm

MET-15

CoW-Contact group on other matters

(closed meeting)

6:00 - 8:30 pm

MET-26

Interregional Group Central Asia-Russia

(closed meeting)

Forthcoming official meetings

Tuesday, 3 December 2024

Conference of the Parties

10 am - 1 pm

Main Committee Room

COP 3rd meeting

Ministerial dialogue on finance: “Unlocking public and private finance for land restoration and drought resilience” (item 5 a ii)

The ministerial dialogue addresses the critical need for increased investments to combat land degradation, desertification, and drought, which cost the global economy 10 trillion USD annually. Public finance supports long-term restoration projects, while private finance introduces innovative tools like green bonds and impact investing.

2 - 5 pm

Plenary Hall

COP 4th meeting

Ministerial Dialogue: Impacts of Land Degradation and Drought on Forced Migration, Security and Prosperity (item 5 a iii)

The ministerial dialogue will examine how sustainable land management (SLM) and drought resilience can address the interconnected challenges of land degradation, forced migration, and conflict. With 3.2 billion people globally affected by land degradation and over 120 million forcibly displaced, these issues undermine stability, security and livelihoods.

High Level Segment - Closing Session, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

3 - 6 pm

MET-09

COP 5th meeting

Formal statements session

List of speakers and their statements

GABON

Her Excellency Ms. Arcadie Svetlana Minguengui Ndomba, Minister of Environment, Climate and Human-Wildlife Conflict

Read Statement

BANGLADESH

Her Excellency Ms. Syeda Rizwana Hasan Minister (Advisor), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Read Statement

MALI

Her Excellency Ms. Doumbia Mariam Tangara, Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development

Read Statement

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA

Read Statement

THE REPUBLIC OF MADAGASCAR

Read Statement

LESOTHO

His Excellency Mr. Letsema Adontsi, Minister of Environment and Forestry

Read Statement

NICARAGUA

His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Farrara Lashtar, Minister Advisor to the President of the Republic for Africa, the Middle East, and Arab Countries

Read Statement

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment

Read Statement

FRANCE

His Excellency Mr. Thani Mohamed Soilihi, Secretary of State for Francophonie and International Partnerships

Read Statement

SPAIN

His Excellency Mr. Hugo Alfonso Moran Fernández, Secretary of State for the Environment

Read Statement

SERBIA

Read Statement

PORTUGAL

His Excellency Mr. Emídio Sousa, Secretary of State for Environment

Read Statement

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC

His Excellency Mr. Moutaz Douaji, Deputy Minister of Local Administration and Environment

Read Statement

UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

His Excellency Mr. Khamis Hamza Khamis Deputy Minister from the Vice President's Office (Union and Environment)

Read Statement

AUSTRALIA

Ms Kim Farrant, Assistant Secretary, Future Drought Fund Strategy and Delivery Branch, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Read Statement

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Mr. Toirambe Bamoninga Benjamin, Secretary General for the Environment and Sustainable Development

Read Statement

SURINAME

Mr. Iemdaad Nasser Rodjan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment

Read Statement

ARMENIA

Ms. Narine Hakobyan, Deputy Head of Land and Underground resources policy Department of The Ministry of Environment

Read Statement

CANADA

His Excellency Mr. Jean-Philippe Linteau Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Read Statement

BARBADOS

The Hon. Mr. Adrian Forde Minister of Environment and National Beautification

Read Statement

SRI LANKA

His Excellency Mr. Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Read Statement

PHILIPPINES

Mr. Rommel A. Romato, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Philippines in Riyadh

Read Statement

NEPAL

Mr. Rajendra KC, Head of Delegation

Read Statement

PANAMA

Ms. Erika Gomez, Lead Negotiator

Read Statement

MONGOLIA

Read Statement

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Ms. Grethel Aguilar, Director General

Read Statement

Foundation for the Development of the Dry and Semi-Arid Zones of Mesoamerica

Ms. Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division

Read Statement

UNCCD Interregional Group Central Asia - Russia

Read Statement

Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention

10 am - 1 pm

Plenary Hall

CRIC 1st meeting

Opening of the twenty-second session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention by the Chair of the Committee

Statement by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Statements by representatives of the regional and interest groups and a representative of non-governmental organizations

Organizational matters [item 1]

(a) Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (ICCD/CRIC(22)/1)

(b) Election of officers other than the Chair of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention

Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels [item 2]

(b) Multi-year workplan for Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(16)/6-ICCD/CRIC(22)/2, ICCD/COP(16)/22/Add.1)

(a) Review of the report of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention on its twenty-first session (ICCD/CRIC(21)/11 and ICCD/CRIC(22)/8)

Introduction and discussion

Committee on Science and Technology

3 - 6 pm

Main Committee

CST 1st meeting

Opening of the sixteenth session of the Committee on Science and Technology by the Chair of the Committee

Statement by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Statements by representatives of the regional and interest groups and a representative of non-governmental organizations

Organizational matters [item 1]

(a) Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (ICCD/COP(16)/CST/1)

(b) Election of officers other than the Chair of the Committee on Science and Technology

Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the triennium 2022–2024 [item 2]

(a) Evidence on sustainable land use systems and their potential to address desertification/land degradation and drought (ICCD/COP(16)/CST/2, ICCD/COP(16)/CST/10)

(b) Evidence on historical global and regional aridity trends and future projections that may contribute to expanding drylands and affected populations and the adaptation approaches (ICCD/COP(16)/CST/3, ICCD/COP(16)/CST/10)

Interactive dialogue

Introduction and discussion

Announcements

Registration for Delegates

Registration for delegations of country Parties, United Nations organisations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, side event participants, media and other participants will take place as follows:

Any changes to the opening hours of the registration desk will be communicated in the Official Journal of the session.

Identity badges will be issued at the time of registration, and participants are requested to wear them at all times, as they will not be allowed access to the session venue without presenting them.

Changwon Pavilion: Advancing Land Restoration Neutrality Goals (Blue Zone, D)

The Changwon Pavilion, rooted in the Republic of Korea’s Changwon Initiative launched at COP10, brings renewed focus to combating desertification and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

Located in Zone D/D13, this pavilion offers a dynamic platform for events showcasing forestry innovations, land restoration techniques, and global partnerships driving progress toward SDG15.3. Attendees can engage with diverse initiatives aimed at reversing land degradation while celebrating the enduring legacy of this visionary commitment to sustainable land use.

Resilience Pavilion: Pioneering Drought Solutions (Pavilion C17)

As drought’s severe impacts on economies and societies take center stage at UNCCD COP 16, the Resilience Pavilion emerges as a hub for innovation and action. Supported by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), this pavilion will spotlight groundbreaking solutions to prepare for and adapt to harsher droughts.

A highlight is the unveiling of International Drought Resilience Observatory, the world’s first AI-powered global data platform designed to assess and enhance drought resilience. An immersive experience will offer COP 16 participants a glimpse into this innovative platform, which is in the prototype stage and is expected to launch at COP 17 in 2026.

Credentials

Delegations are advised to contact Ms. Aphrodite Smagadi (00966 568701092) and Mr. Stadler Trengove (00966 568682169), AREA B, Office n^o 11 – Legal Office as soon as possible.

Electronic Information Service

Delegations are advised that wireless internet access is available throughout the venue. The network name is COP16 Public, and no password is required.

A Computer Center is located in Area-C, providing 100 workstations and printing facilities. An ICT Helpdesk counter is also available in the same area to assist with technical support.

A link to the stream of the meetings of the COP 16 session can be found on the UN Web TV website, the COP 16 page of the UNCCD website.

Lost and Found

The Lost and Found service is located near the Registration area, offering convenient access near the Main Entrance.

Medical Support and Emergency Response

Medical services will be provided throughout the event by qualified healthcare professionals, ensuring that assistance is readily available. The Medical Care Center is located near the Registration area, close to the Main Entrance.

Emergency Response:

Immediate Action: Medical vehicles will be stationed on-site to ensure a rapid response in case of emergencies.
Coordination with Local Services: Collaboration with local emergency teams will be ensured to manage serious medical situations effectively.
Health and Safety Standards: All procedures will adhere to the most current guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health authorities.
Ambulance Placement: Ambulances will be strategically located at key areas, including the Blue Zone and VIP sections, to ensure quick access to medical care.

You can find a list of Emergency Contact Numbers here.

The KSA Emergency number is 112 (reachable without a SIM card).

Meeting Rooms for Regional and Interest Groups

Requests for inclusion in the schedule of meetings of regional and interest groups should be communicated to:

Kayhan UI (kul [at] unccd.int (kul[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-544050235) or Mahamadou Tari Bako (mbako [at] unccd.int (mbako[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-568723965).

Shuttle Service and Interactive Map

To facilitate seamless transportation during COP 16, a dedicated shuttle service has been arranged between the conference venue and official hotels.

Use our Interactive Map to explore routes and locations, including shuttle pickup and drop-off points, along with timetables for transportation between hotels, the venue, and the airport. This resource is also available in the app under COP 16 Information.

We encourage participants to use the shuttle service to minimize environmental impact and ease transportation logistics. Thank you for contributing to a sustainable COP 16!

The UNCCD Conference App

The UNCCD Conference App is an easy tool for participants of official UNCCD events to have access to the latest conference schedules, all official documents and other relevant information related to the UNCCD process and conference logistics. It also provides information on the latest up-to-date schedule of events.

The UNCCD Conference App is relevant for all delegates and other participants of all sessions of the UNCCD Conference of Parties (COP), the Committee of Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC).