UNCCD 16th session of the Conference of the Parties

  • Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 2-13 December 2024

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COP16 quote Antonio Guterres: “We depend on land for our survival. Yet, we treat it like dirt."
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The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024.

UNCCD COP 16 was more than a critical milestone – it represented a moonshot moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.  

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global voice for land and one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions, alongside climate and biodiversity.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the main decision-making body of UNCCD’s 197 Parties – 196 countries and the European Union. COP16 took place under the theme Our Land. Our Future

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of UNCCD, COP16 became the largest UN land conference to date and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region, which knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.

COP16 strived to become a game-changer, marking a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet.

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About UNCCD COP16

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