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The UN Convention to Combat Desertification

Kumari Sonali

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification:

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification opened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope.”

  • The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
  • It is one of the three Rio Conventions (alongside UNFCCC for climate change and CBD for biodiversity) established at the 1992 Earth Summi
  • Formally recommended by Agenda 21 at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (UNCED).
  • Adoption & Entry into Force: Adopted in Paris on June 17, 1994 (now observed globally as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought) and entered into force in December 1996.
  • Global Membership: Has near-universal membership with 197 Parties (196 countries plus the European Union).
  • Aim is to combat desertification, reverse land degradation, and mitigate the effects of drought in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas (drylands) to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030 and support sustainable livelihoods.

Functions of the UNCCD:

  • Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN): Coordinates global efforts to ensure that the quantity and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and food security remain stable or increase.
  • Promoting Proactive Drought Resilience: Facilitates international frameworks—such as the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership—to transition countries from reactive post-disaster crisis relief to proactive drought preparedness and early warning systems.
  • Decentralized Bottom-Up Governance: Mandates that National Action Programmes (NAPs) be designed with active participation from local communities, farmers, pastoralists, indigenous peoples, and women.
  • Mobilizing Climate & Land Finance: Operates the Global Mechanism (GM) to help developing countries channel domestic, bilateral, private-sector, and multilateral funds into sustainable land management projects.
  • Cross-Border Peace & Ecosystem Co-Management: Spearheads specialized international programs like the Peace Forest Initiative (PFI), promoting transboundary ecological restoration across conflict-affected borders.