Gender equality and women’s empowerment is recognized as a cross-cutting priority across all aspects of the work of the UNCCD. The Convention secretariat and the Global Mechanism (GM) promote men and women’s equal and balanced participation in all aspects of the UNCCD process and implementation. The policy reflects changes resulting from the adoption of the UNCCD Gender Action Plan (GAP) in 2017 and the Gender Action Plan Roadmap in 2022, as well as the enrollment in the 2018 United Nations System-wide Plan of Action on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP 2.0). The adoption of the GAP represents a landmark opportunity to transform gender equality and human rights into action.