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.

UNCCD COP 16 is more than a critical milestone – it represents 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 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2-13 December 2024 under the theme Our Land. Our Future. 

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 knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.

COP16 is poised to be 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.

This event seeks will explore synergies between existing land governance monitoring tools, engage with partners and institutions to integrate potential indicators in future UNCCD reporting processes, developing a cross-cutting data and knowledge management platform.

Agenda
The session will be organized around three panel discussions:

• The first panel will set the scene on i) the importance for land tenure in UNCCD, ii) the importance of open and reliable data and information on land tenure for achieving LDN, iii) progress made so far and the opportunities and challenges that exist at global and country level.
• The second panel will present proposals for cross-cutting data and knowledge management platforms integrating data on land tenure and combatting desertification, land degradation and drought. Presentations will be followed by extensive consultations and discussions. 
• The third panel will bring together representatives from governments, civil society, donor groups, Global Land Agenda and UNCCD to build consensus on the relevance and commitments towards operationalizing the proposed data and knowledge management platform. 
   

Speakers

• Ward Anseeuw (FAO)
• Romy Sato (Land Portal)
• Johanna Von Braun (ILC)
• Sara Minelli  (UNCCD)
• Basiru Isa (REPALEAC)
• Representatives of Delegations and Parties
• Representatives of donors
• Representatives of the Global Land Agenda