Saudi Arabia Participates in Desertification Conference in Mongolia, Hands Over Presidency

Saudi Arabia will participate next Monday in the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, hosted by the Republic of Mongolia from August 17 to 28, with the participation of member states, international organizations, and relevant entities. Saudi Arabia will hand over the presidency of the conference to Mongolia after a term marked by the implementation of several international initiatives and partnerships that originated from the Riyadh Conference (COP16).

Saudi Arabia's participation in the conference is an extension of its leading role in supporting international efforts to address environmental challenges. The Kingdom will showcase key international initiatives it led during its presidency and the progress achieved, most notably the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership (RGDRP), the Riyadh Action Agenda, which expanded from 35 to over 100 initiatives, the international early warning initiative for sand and dust storms, and the activation of the Business4Land initiative. These efforts highlight its commitment to protecting the environment and natural resources, developing vegetation cover, and adopting sustainable solutions to combat desertification, reflecting its commitment to supporting multilateral environmental work and achieving sustainable development goals.

Saudi Arabia hosted the 16th session of the convention in December 2024 in Riyadh, the largest in the convention's history, with the participation of 197 parties (196 countries and the European Union), the adoption of 39 decisions, and the mobilization of over $12 billion to support land restoration and drought resilience.

The conference serves as an international platform to enhance cooperation among member states, international organizations, and related entities, exchange experiences, and showcase successful land management and restoration practices to support global efforts aimed at mitigating the effects of land degradation and drought, and to strengthen partnerships aimed at building a more sustainable future.

Saudi Arabia will participate in the conference activities through a national pavilion in the Blue Zone, featuring a comprehensive program with over 40 side events, and a pavilion dedicated to the Middle East Green Initiative. The Kingdom will chair the final meeting of the Conference of the Parties Bureau (COP Bureau) before handing over the presidency to Mongolia, and will hold the second meeting of the steering committee and the first partners' assembly of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, continuing the "Optimism Dialogue" on the global drought framework through meetings in Panama, Bonn, Cairo, and a ministerial meeting in Nairobi.

With this participation, Saudi Arabia concludes its presidency of the 16th session, having established a record of distinctive initiatives, effective partnerships, and executive mechanisms that contributed to translating the outcomes of the Riyadh Conference into practical steps on the ground.

The Kingdom looks forward to continuing cooperation with all member states to ensure ongoing progress towards achieving the objectives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and enhancing global efforts to restore lands and build resilience against drought, based on the belief that collective action is the cornerstone for addressing global environmental challenges.