The SC at the COP16 in Riyadh, 2024

This month The SC participated in the Conference of the Parties (COP), the main decision-making body of UNCCD’s 197 Parties – 196 countries and the European Union. COP16 took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2-13 December 2024 under the theme Our Land. Our Future. 
 
The SC representatives gave interviews and moderated a panel discussion on a joint project with Monash University (Australia) on forest fire prevention and management.
 
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 plane