United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

ILRI @ COP16

The 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024.

As a global platform focused on land-related issues, the UNCCD serves as a key forum for governments, businesses, and civil society to tackle pressing challenges and strategize for a sustainable future. As one of the three Rio Conventions, alongside those addressing climate change and biodiversity, the UNCCD highlights the interconnected nature of these issues. Addressing the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and land degradation requires a unified approach, as healthy land is critical to achieving global goals on climate, nature, and sustainable development

Rangeland in Resamiya village, Sauratra region of Gujarat
Rangeland in Resamiya village, Sauratra region of Gujarat

Side Events

Date and timeName of session or eventLocationLead partnersMain ILRI contact personRole being played and by whom
3/12 Tuesday: (Finance)  Day
17.00-18.30Particpatory rangeland management: A business case for AfricaFood&Ag PavilionILRIFionaORGANISING. 
4/12 Wednesday: Land Day
08.00-08.50COP Presidency Event - Rio convention synergies - restore 1.5 billion hectares by 20230Action Dome Met-25UNCCD SecFiona  
09.20-11.20Nature Based Solutions International Symposium including resilience of agro-pastoral livelihoods and rangelandsAction Dome Met-25UNCCD SecFiona UNEP
09/30-11.00The new nature of businessSide event room IKEA etc.  
10.13.00Gender Caucus launch of #HerLand publication Action Dome Met-11UNCCD Gender Launcing HerLand publication that Fiona contributed to
11.35-12.30Restoration success storiesAction Dome Met-25UNCCD SecFiona Fiona/STELARR working with Business4Land project
13.00-15.00Business 4 Land ForumAction Dome Met-25UNCCD SecFiona Fiona/STELARR working with Business4Land project
13.00-18.00Innovation segment including Dragons Den pitching sessionSide event room 1UNCCD SecFiona Fiona/STELARR working with Business4Land project
15.30-17.00Landscape restoration as a pathway to peace  Alliance/E&BPBabaILRI co-organising. Baba presenting SPARC
15.00-15.45The global rangelands standard and the Rangelands Stewardship CouncilAction Dome Met-25SFA/UNCCDFiona Fiona  PRESENTER with SFA on rangelands standard and rangeland stewardship council
16.00-17.45COP Presidencey event on rangelands including announcement of a Mongolia-led global Rangelands CoalitionMet-25UNCCD SecFiona Announcement on UNCCD's Rangelands Initiative  flagship project launch for Mongolia, Rangelands Coalition, the RSC and standard.
15.00-16.30Launch CGIAR 2030 Global Strategy on Resilient DrylandsFood&Ag pavilionICARDAFiona Fiona asked to present - on PLUP in pastoral areas
18.00-20.00Fashion 4 Land eventMet-25??UNCCD SecFiona SFA presenting. SFA are STELARR partners
TBCGIZ Rangelands ReceptionTBCGIZFiona ILRI co-hosting with GIZ, UNCCD - Fiona quick remarks
5/12 Thursday: AgriFood Systems Day
07.45-09.15FAO investment framework including rangelands in MENA FAOFiona  
9.00-10.30A just transition to more sustainable extensive livestock production systemsFood&Ag pavilionILRIFiona ORGANISIG. Fiona MODERATING
11:30 -13.00Restoring the Forgotten Landscapes: A High-Level Dialogue on Funding Grasslands, Savannahs, and RangelandsWWF, IYRP etcFiona Fiona contributed to position paper. Fiona MODERATING
14.00-15.30 Custodians of the Land and Territories: How Pastoralist Communities and Women Strengthen Resilient RangelandsMongolian PavilioniYRP/ Hannah LongoleFiona  
15.00-16.30Potential dryland sylvopastoral systemsFood&Ag pavilionFAOFiona Sara and Baba are presenting in session
14:00pm-15.30LD4D Annual Meeting 2024: Network-powered solutions for real world impact    
5-6.30pmLand and natural resource tenure,  governance and food production systems: international collaboration for local solutionsFood&Ag pavilionILRI-ILCFiona ORGANISING. Fiona is MODERATOR
6/12 Friday: Governance Day
09:00-10:30The importance of Indigenous Peoples’ Mobility, Nomadism, and Collective Rights for Biodiversity Conservation and Combating Desertification and Land DegradationMET-01FAO Pulaaku  
09:00-10:30Principles and Good Practices  for Sustainable Rangeland Restoration and ManagementMET-02NCVC, ICARDA, WOCAT  
09.00-10.30Valuing GrasslandsMet-08TNC, WWF, ILRI Fiona MODERATOR & contributed to organisation
15.30-17.00Data Dilemmas: Bridging knowledge gaps for inclusive rangeland governance RECONCILE/ILCFiona Fiona will CONTRIBUTE with the rangelands data . RECONCILE also contributing. 
18.00-20.00Offical side event: Shared Lands, Shared Futures:  Inclusive Governance for Rangelands and Pastoralists (TBC)Action Dome, Blue zoneFAO, IYRP, WWF, ILRIFiona Fiona MODERATOR first part. ILRI is as contributor to organisation. Partners contribute to event. . Kiteto pastoralist woman (Natapuaki will be on panel). 
7/12 Saturday: Peoples Day: Official Agenda
10.00-13.00Indigenous Peoples for LandAction DomeUNCCD  
      
11-12.30Global movements to scale land and soil regenerationMET-07ICRAF, IUAF, MerzFiona  
12.30-14.00Restoration of global rangelands for people, nature and human well-beingIUCN, Fiona ILRI is partner in organisation Naitapuaki to speak
14.00-15.30Mobility Matters UNEP, ILC, ILRIFiona ILRI is partner in organisation. Fiona Fireside chat with Patrick
15.00-18.00Youth Forum Action for Land, Restoring Work for Resilient and Sustainable FuturesAction DomeUNCCD  
15.30-17.00The Role of Indigenous Peoples in the conservation and restoration agendas   
17.00-18.30IYRP 2026Food&Ag pavilionIYRP support groupFiona Fiona co-ORGANISING
17.00-18.30How IPs Ways of Life and Wellbeing Links to Land and Resilience   
18.00-19.30Mapping conservation hotspots??MET-04WWF/Equilibrium Fiona contributing as panelist
18.00-19.30Restoring Balance: Livestock Management for Ecosystem Resilience and Land DegradationMET-01CASH/ICRAFFiona Sara is panelist. Part organiser
10/12 Tuesday: Resilience Day
10.30-13.00Pathways to sustainable land use: multifuncational landscapesFood&Ag pavilionGGGIFiona ILRI is a partner in organisation. Fiona is panelist
13.00-14.30 Grazing for good: Pathways to sustainable grazing managementIUCN pavilionWWFFiona Fiona is panelist
11/12 Wednesday: Finance Day
9-10.30Reversing, reviving, regenerating: Pastoralist women restoring rangelandsFood&Ag pavilionILRIFiona ORGANISING. Fiona is MODERATOR
10-11.00Breaking barriers: Finance, science and partnerships for RRG20 Restoration pavilionWWFFiona Fiona is PANELIST.   Bochola is panelist
11.30-12.30Meeting with Sara and SFA team    
13:00-14:30Accelerating actions for healthy land in East Africa - Pathways to pastoralist prosperity, resilience and food securityMet-02Jameel/ILRIPeter B 
13.00-14.30Multifunctional landscapesFood&Ag pavilionEnv&Bio platformFiona CIAT organising. ILRI is partner. Fiona is CLOSING
15.30-17.00UNCCD Side Event: STELARR: Sustainable Investments for Large-Scale Rangeland RestorationMet-05ILRIFiona ORGANISING.

Our Delegation

Fiona Flintan

Fiona Flintan

Rangelands & Pastoralism Scientist

Peter Ballantyne

Peter Ballantyne

Consultant, Communications and Knowledge Management