BONN – As high-level political representatives gather in Addis Ababa this week for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, there are reasons to be optimistic about the fight against climate change and the pursuit of sustainable development. Investments in renewable energies…

BONN, Mar 4 2015 (IPS) – Women are not only the world’s primary food producers. They are hardworking and innovative and, they invest far more of their earnings in their families than men. But most lack the single most important asset for accessing investment resources – land rights. Women’s…

Les débats actuels sur les migrations internationales n'ont-ils pas oublié un point essentiel ? Le changement climatique est en train de saper la position des pauvres dans le monde en détruisant leurs ressources naturelles vitales et en leur enlevant la capacité à décider de leur propre destin. Les…

For five decades we have failed to check land degradation. Now, extremist groups and criminal gangs are exploiting the situation. They radicalize youth and children, and enslave women and girls for perverted, political ends. When your farm won’t produce, your children have no future. It can lead to…

Two of the greatest aspirations in life are to provide adequate food and shelter for our families. Will the proposed Sustainable Development Goals help all 9 billion of us to achieve these aspirations by 2050? All but four of the 17 goals are directly linked to the use of the land. It makes the…

With so many of the world's 48 least developed countries (LDCs) at the centre of global security concerns – from Afghanistan to Central African Republic to Mali, Nigeria and Somalia – wealthier states would be wise to support the actions LDC politicians agreed to (pdf) at a meeting they held in…

The solution to the very visible global problems of deforestation, desertification and food scarcity may be hiding in plain sight: the transformative ability to restore degraded land to productive use. This is a resource opportunity of unprecedented magnitude. Two billion hectares — an area twice…

We live in a world that increasingly resembles an “all you can eat” buffet. We are encouraged to be as “greedy” as we like. This “all you can eat” concept is both amazing and disturbing; it sums up much of what is wrong about our relationship with food. It’s amazing in that it illustrates our…

William Tell, in popular legend, takes a stand against a system that undermined his human dignity – tyranny and oppression. He refused to bow down before the hat of the evil bailiff Gessler, but was then forced to shoot an apple off his son’s head with a crossbow. This tale has a universal message…

Canada Deposits its Instrument of Ratification to Re-Join the UNCCD Statement of Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD Yesterday, the Government of Canada communicated to the Secretary-General of the United Nations its accession to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification…

Desertification is a colossal aspect of drylands with global impact. By sustainably managing land and striving to achieve land degradation neutrality, the UNCCD will reduce the impact of climate change, avoid conflict over natural resources and help communities to thrive. Following landmark…

Majority of people in Japan tend to think desertification is happening far away from them. During the symposium today, they learned why they should care and take action in the fight against desertification and land degradation. “Japan is not immune from the impact of land degradation,” said Monique…

Poor rural women in developing countries are critical to the survival of their families. Fertile land is their lifeline. But the number of people negatively affected by land degradation is growing rapidly. Crop failures, water scarcity and the migration of traditional crops are damaging rural…

Monique Barbut, the United Nations Under Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and Noriko Suzuki, Senior Vice President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met today at the JICA Headquarters in Tokyo to discuss…

The Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) provides a scientific foundation for understanding, implementing and monitoring LDN. It has been designed to create a bridge between the vision and the practical implementation of LDN, by defining LDN in operational terms. The…

The UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI) released the Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in English, Spanish and French. The conceptual framework provides a scientific basis for understanding, implementing and monitoring LDN. It has been designed to create a bridge…

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is in Bonn, Germany, today to engage with G20 Foreign Ministers on the issues of Africa and sustainability. It is the new UN chief’s first visit to Bonn since taking office this year. Monique Barbut, current Chair of the UN Agencies in Germany and…

The Government of Sierra Leone has successfully launched the National Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target setting process. The launching ceremony took place at the Ministry of Lands, Country Planning and Environment, in Freetown and was broadcast on National TV in three consecutive slots. The…

The first national workshop on Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) was recently held in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. This event brought together participants from both national and local public administration institutions, scientific and civil society, the business community, and representatives of…

The fifteenth session of the Committee of the Review of Implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CRIC 15) concluded last October 19 in Nairobi, Kenya. Three issues are deemed particularly important to move forward with Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). First, a very successful…

102 countries have already committed to translating the global Land Degradation Neutrality target into country-specific targets and actions that generate multiple benefits: from climate change mitigation and adaptation to zero hunger; from ensuring access to clean water to creating decent work and…

In August 2016, the United Nations in Ukraine and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, in close cooperation with other UN organizations, joined forces to launch a series of thematic consultations at the national and regional levels to support the national Sustainable…

The milestone of 100 participating countries in the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target setting process is cause for celebration! In 2015, 14 pioneer countries completed a LDN pilot project. Today, 100 countries are engaged in the process. This milestone on the LDN target setting journey is a…

On the occasion of the Committee on Forestry and the World Forest Week organized at FAO headquarters from 18 to 22 July 2016, FAO and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD joined forces to organize a side-event: “Sustainable Financing for Forest & Landscape Restoration and Land Degradation Neutrality…