Bonn, Germany – The Global Mechanism (GM) of UNCCD participated in the Global Landscapes Forum on 2 December 2018 to discuss how the convention is working with 120 countries that are establishing targets to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030. While the countries are undertaking the…

Katowice, Poland – UNCCD has joined other Rio conventions in the margins of the ongoing Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP24) to foster the alignment of the three conventions that tackle similar problems, have similar goals and operate in the same ecosystems. Addressing the audience, the UNCCD…

Bonn, Germany – UNCCD will host a live event on Twitter on Monday, 18 November at 11:30AM (UTC+1) with Sadhguru and UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, who will discuss how land users, governments and the civil society can collaborate to promote sustainable land management globally. After…

Beijing, China, 17 June 2016 – China and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification today launched the Joint Action Initiative to combat desertification, rehabilitate degraded land and mitigate the effects of drought (JAI). The initiative aims to make the whole region along the “Silk Road”…

Nowhere are the challenges of achieving sustainable development in the face of a changing climate more acute than in the Sahel. As the world prepares to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to secure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the region. The…

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…

The NAP Expo for 2016, organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC), served as a fruitful scenario to leverage the implementation of LDN - Land Degradation Neutrality - (Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3) through its integration into the National…

Brussels, Belgium – The third edition of the World Atlas of Desertification (WAD3), developed in partnership by UNCCD, the European Commission and its Joint Research Center, was presented at the European Commission headquarters on 27 November 2018. Juan Carlos Mendoza, the Managing Director of the…

At just 20 years old, Kehkashan is already a global influencer, environmentalist, TEDx Speaker, social enterprise innovator and author. In 2012, she founded the Green Hope Foundation to provide a platform for engagement and empowerment of children and youth, especially those representing vulnerable…

On June 20, 1996 the German government handed over Haus Carstanjen as an office building to the United Nations, a day now celebrated as the birth of Bonn as a UN city. The UNCCD Secretariat moved to Bonn in 1999. Today, Bonn is seen and appreciated worldwide as a genuine UN city with international…

Land use change is the primary driver for emerging infectious diseases, and the rate of land conversion is accelerating. Moreover, the foundation for building back better in the face of climate change and the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic will be centered upon future land-use decisions. The good…

The new course that aims to provide better understanding of linkages between gender and environment is the result of a joint initiative led by the Global Environment Facility ( the GEF) and its Small Grants Programme (SGP) in collaboration with the GEF Gender Partnership and the United Nations…

Windhoek, Namibia, 8 August 2016 – The Third Africa Drylands Week started today in Windhoek, Namibia. The opening ceremony was chaired by H.E. Mr. Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment and Tourism of Namibia. Messages were delivered by the representatives from the Food and Agriculture…

50 years ago people mobilized the world to demand a new social contract with nature. Earth Day was born. Today, our social contract is put in jeopardy. The current COVID-19 crisis is showing how much we depend on each other as well as on other species and nature for our health, food systems and…