Rio Conventions
Nature is the foundation of all life on Earth, an interconnected system where people, plants and animals coexist. Just as these elements work in harmony, the UNCCD collaborates with its sister conventions—the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—to promote an integrated approach to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.
The three conventions, established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, recognize the need for a united approach to healing our relationship with nature. The terrestrial ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management, which represent the main intersections between the Rio conventions, are being increasingly prioritized as key areas for action within the global environmental agenda and multilateral frameworks. At UNCCD COP16, Parties reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating and scaling up nature-based and ecosystem-based solutions to achieve their targets on land restoration, climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
Strengthening synergies at all levels
Recent COP decisions further stress the need for enhanced collaboration among the Rio Conventions, supporting countries in integrating land, climate and biodiversity actions into national policies and strategies by:
- Fostering cooperation between national focal points of the three conventions to minimize policy fragmentation
- Leveraging synergies in planning and implementation processes through integrated actions and approaches
- Prioritizing holistic solutions to address desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) and its links to climate change and biodiversity loss.
To facilitate this, UNCCD is committed to promoting data sharing, developing joint science-policy publications and improving access to case studies, pilot projects and best practices. The interoperability of information management systems to enhance knowledge exchange represents another key area for action. The secretariat will also continue to build data-driven partnerships under the auspices of the Group on Earth Observations Land Degradation Neutrality Flagship initiative, ensuring data-driven tools for reporting and informed decision-making.
Joint Liaison Group
The Joint Liaison Group of the Rio Conventions plays a central role in coordinating these activities and ensuring alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Global Environment Facility (the GEF) is central to supporting synergy-driven projects across the three conventions.
Advancing women’s land rights and inclusive policies
Recognizing the vital role of rural women, Indigenous Peoples and youth in sustainable land management, the UNCCD continues to advocate for secure land rights, building on initiatives like Her Land. Her Rights. Mainstreaming gender in the Rio Conventions supports broader goals of equitable, inclusive environmental governance. In partnership with the Robert Bosch Foundation and TMG Think Tank for Sustainability, the three secretariats have been collaborating for the past two years to strengthen momentum for women’s land rights and enhancing synergies across the Conventions. This initiative promotes coordinated advocacy, fosters stakeholder cooperation and raises the visibility of land issues, driving effective action for women’s land rights and climate resilience.
Joint capacity building programme
The Rio Conventions Joint Capacity-building Programme, initiated by the secretariats of the three Rio Conventions, aims to strengthen individual, institutional and systemic capacities to enhance synergies between climate action, biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management. It promotes cross-sector collaboration, integrated planning, policy development and resource mobilization, and the inclusion of indigenous and local knowledge, while fostering coordination and coherence in achieving the three Rio Conventions’ objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Scientific integration and policy support
Recognizing the need for stronger scientific collaboration, the sister conventions are working to interlink their scientific bodies—including the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI)—to establish a solid evidence base for achieving common goals.
Looking ahead
The outcomes of UNCCD COP16 reaffirm the UNCCD’s central role in addressing DLDD and its contributions to global climate and biodiversity objectives. Moving forward, the convention is committed to supporting Parties in enhancing national planning and implementation, fostering multi-stakeholder engagement and strengthening policy integration.
UNCCD will report on these efforts at COP17, ensuring continued progress toward a more sustainable and resilient future on land.