The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024. But why does this COP matter for the global commons?
Healthy and fertile land is one of the global commons that underpin the planet’s life support systems and human well-being on Earth. Yet up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, which directly impacts 3.2 billion people.
On top of this, we are degrading at least 100 million hectares of healthy, productive land each year. If trends continue, we will need to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded lands by 2030.
Drought, land degradation and desertification disproportionately affect women, girls, Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups. Already vulnerable communities are often the most affected by Earth system change. But everyone, including the wealthy, is at risk.
Safe and just
Scientists have identified that a pathway to a “Safe and Just Space” for everyone to thrive, is to reduce inequalities in how critical Earth system resources are accessed and used – alongside economic and technological transformation.
However, we need to act fast: future projections to 2050 show that this Space will shrink over time, driven by inequality, unless urgent transformations take place.
This is why the UNCCD COP16 is more important than ever. It focuses on land degradation, desertification and drought, including biodiversity, peoples’ livelihoods and better land and resources management. All of this is crucial to safeguarding the global commons for a Safe and Just future.
WHAT’S COP16?
UNCCD is the global voice for land and one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions, alongside climate and biodiversity (this year’s COP29 and biodiversity COP16 in Colombia respectively). The COP is the main decision-making body of UNCCD’s 197 Parties – 196 countries and the European Union.
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of UNCCD, COP16 will be the largest UN land conference to date, and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region, which is highly vulnerable to and impacted by desertification, land degradation and drought. Ibrahim Thiaw is the UN Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary.
Alongside the Negotiation Track, COP16 will also have an Action Agenda, based on daily themes:
⛰️ Land Day on 4 December will focus on the importance of healthy land for combating climate change, creating jobs and alleviating poverty, with an emphasis on nature-based solutions, land restoration and private sector engagement.
🌽 Agri-Food System Day on 5 December will highlight sustainable farming practices for resilient crops and healthy soils while protecting ecosystems.
🏛️ Governance Day on 6 December will address inclusive land governance.
🧑🏾 Peoples Day on 7 December will focus on the role of youth, women and civil society in decision-making.
🔬 Science, Technology and Innovation Day on 9 December aims to accelerate scientific solutions for land health.
🏙️ Resilience Day on 10 December will center on policies and technologies to build societal and planetary resilience in the face of climate change.
💰 Finance Day on 11 December will engage financial stakeholders to showcase innovative funding mechanisms and partnerships for land and drought resilience initiatives.
FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET
Land degradation affects people and ecosystems across the planet, and is both affected by climate change and contributes to it. Nature and land restoration is a solution. As our Executive Director said in a joint-statement organized by Nature4Climate during COP29: “There is no viable climate or economic solution without nature.”
COP16 marks a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet. We will be following discussions closely as diverse actors from across sectors are brought together to take action for our future.
We need ambitious leadership now. Leaders at COP16 in Riyadh must commit to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience, for the benefit of people and planet — and be better guardians of the global commons.
