JOURNAL

2 December 2024

1st meeting    

Opening of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties by the President of the fifteenth session  

His Excellency Alain Richard Donwahi, President of the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth session, opened the session and delivered his opening statement.  

Election of the President     [item 1 (a)] 

The Conference elected by acclamation His Excellency Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Al Fadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia as President of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16). 

The President made a statement. 

Welcoming remarks were made by His Royal Highness Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Mohammed bin Ayyaf Al-Muqrin, Mayor of Riyadh; Her Excellency Amina Mohamed, United Nations Deputy-Secretary-General (via video); and Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification; .An opening statement was made by His Excellency Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, Prime Minister of Mongolia, as host of the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties. A keynote statement was made by Mr. Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Professor in Earth System Science at the University of Potsdam. 

The Conference viewed a video on the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience partnership (MEWA). 

The President made an announcement on the Riyadh Drought Resilience partnership.

A statement was made by His Excellency Muhammed Al-Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank President on behalf of the Arab Coordination Group. 

Statements were made by the representatives of Morocco (on behalf of the African Group), the European Union, Bhutan (on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group), Ecuador (on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group), Hungary (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Northern Mediterranean (Annex IV)) and Azerbaijan (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Central and Eastern Europe (Annex V)).

A statement was also made by a representative of civil society. 

Establishment of Friends of the Chair Group  

The Conference established a Friends of the Chair Group on matters relating to the “Riyadh Political Declaration of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD at its 16th session”.  

The meeting was adjourned. 

2 December 2024

Meeting 2 a   

Organizational matters: Adoption of the agenda and organization of work including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies (ICCD/COP(16)/1/Rev.1)   [item 1 (b)]

The Conference began its consideration of the item and adopted its provisional agenda for the session.

Election of officers other than the President   [item 1 (c)]

(i)   Election of Vice-Presidents

The Conference elected as Vice-Presidents of its sixteenth session: Mr. Luis Constantino of Angola and Mr. Khalid Cherri of Morocco (group of African States), Ms. Ariuntuya Dorjsuren of Mongolia (group of Asia-Pacific States), Mr. Rodrigo Andrade of Chile and Mr. Julius Smith of Trinidad and Tobago (group of Latin American and Caribbean States), and Ms. Juliane Wiesenhuetter of Germany and Ms. Stephanie Piers of Switzerland (group of Western European and Other States).

Organization of work, including the sessions of the subsidiary bodies    [item 1 (f)]

The President (Saudi Arabia) made a statement.

The Conference adopted its proposed schedule of work as orally revised for the session.

The Conference decided to establish a Committee of the Whole and to allocate to the Committee the agenda items detailed in paragraph 16 of the agenda.

The Conference designated Ms. Anna Louise of Italy as the Chair of the Committee of the Whole.

Accreditation of intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations and representatives from the private sector, and admission of observers [item 1 (e)]

The Conference decided to accredit, as observers, the organizations and private sector entities, as listed in documents ICCD/COP(16)/14.

The meeting was adjourned.

2 December 2024

Meeting 2 b

Ministerial Round Table: From Geneva to Riyadh and beyond, enhancing global and national policy instruments for a proactive drought management approach. 

• Chair: His Excellency Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia 
• Co-Chairs: Her Excellency Bernice Swarts, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa and Mr. Cary Fowler, Special Envoy for Global Food Security of the United States of America.   
• Introductory remarks: Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 
• Keynote speakers: Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Mr. Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director for the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice, His Excellency Muhammed Al-Jasser, the President of the Islamic Development Bank, and Ms. Shaima AlSheiby, Vice President of OPEC Fund for International Development 

Round table 1 was co-chaired by Her Excellency Bernice Swarts (Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa) and Mr. Cary Fowler (Special Envoy for Global Food Security of the United States of America). 

Introductory remarks were delivered by Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw (Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification). 

2 December 2024

1st meeting    

The Chair (Italy) made an introductory statement.  

Allocation of agenda items and organization of work of the Committee of the Whole 

The Chair made a statement regarding the agenda items allocated to the Committee by the Conference of the Parties. 

Establishment of Contact Groups and appointment of facilitators     

The Committee decided to establish the following Contact Groups: Contact Group 1 on programme and budget to be facilitated by Mr. Balchinluvsan Lkhagvasuren of Mongolia, and Contact Group 2 on other COW-related matters to be facilitated by Mr. Asher Nkegbe of Ghana.  

Programme and budget         [item 6]

(a)         Programme and budget for the biennium 2025–2026 

(b)         Financial performance for the Convention trust funds 

The Committee began its consideration of the sub-items. 

Introductory statements were made by the representatives of the UNCCD secretariat and the United Nations Board of Auditors. 

Statements were made by the representatives of South Africa (on behalf of the African Group), Japan, and the European Union.

The representatives of the UNCCD secretariat and the United Nations Board of Auditors responded to comments made from the floor. 

(c)         Report of the Evaluation Office 

The Committee began its consideration of the sub-item. 

An introductory statement was made by the representative of the UNCCD secretariat. 

A statement was made by the representative of China.

The representative of the UNCCD secretariat responded to comments made from the floor. 

The Committee decided that that further discussions on item 6 as a whole be taken up in COW Contact group 1.

Policy frameworks and thematic issues      [item 4]  

The Committee began its consideration of the item. 

-             Drought 

Introductory statements were made by the Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought and by the representative of the UNCCD secretariat.

Statements were made by the representatives of Eswatini, Togo, the United States, the European Union, Argentina, Brazil, China, the Marshal Islands, Mexico and Algeria. 

A statement was also made by the representative of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations as well as by a representative of civil society.

The Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought and the representative of the UNCCD secretariat responded to comments made from the floor. 

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.

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.

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.

The Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for eligible participants will be distributed from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Please ensure you collect your allowance during these hours at the DSA room, which is located in Area C.

• Investing in Land’s Future: Financial Needs Assessment for UNCCD Report

When: Tuesday, 3 December 2024, 08:45–09:45
Where: MET-33

The report highlights that the world needs US$1 billion a day - the equivalent of the annual amount wasted on polluting subsidies - to reverse land degradation, restore ecosystems and build drought resilience, and underlines the urgent need to scale up financial commitments and promote innovative solutions to bridge the funding gap.

• Economics of Drought: Investing in nature-based solutions for drought resilience Report 

When: Tuesday, 3 December 2024, 10:00–10:30
Where: MET-05

This report highlights the underestimated economic costs of drought, which go beyond immediate damage to impact critical sectors such as energy, health and the wider economy. By investing in sustainable land and water management, the report highlights how nature-based solutions not only mitigate the multi-billion dollar costs of man-made drought, but also deliver far-reaching economic, social and environmental benefits.

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

All journalists must be accredited to attend. Accreditation can be completed through the Online Registration System (ORS). Additional information, including the full agenda and session details, is available on the COP16 website.

For inquiries, contact press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int)

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). 

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).

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 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).