The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024, under the theme Our Land. Our Future.
UNCCD COP 16 is more than a critical milestone – it represents a moonshot moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global voice for land and one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions, alongside climate and biodiversity.
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of UNCCD, COP16 will be the largest UN land conference to date, and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region, which knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought. COP16 is poised to be a game-changer, marking a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet.
Visit the official CCD COP16 website: HERE
SGP CCD COP16 Events
Note: all times are in local Riyadh time
Green Zone SGP Local Action Pavilion and Events
The Small Grants Progamme will have a pavilion in the UNCCD COP16 Green Zone. This space will showcase SGP and UNDP’s Local Action programming, and will feature SGP community-based market products and handicraft, knowledge products and videos, and will host a series of daily SGP/Local Action side events. The space will highlight UNDP’s land related activities globally and locally with support from SGP National Coordinators (from Arab States, Africa, LAC, Asia) and SGP grantee partners. The space will facilitate learning, knowledge exchange and networking among COP16 participants.
See the event schedule below:
Green Zone Event: Locally-led Action for Ecosystem Restoration
Date and time: 4 Dec, 12.00 to 1:30pm | Venue: Green Zone, Pavilion 3
For over 30 years, the SGP has provided financial and technical support to NGOs, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities to address global environmental challenges. SGP has grown steadily into a global delivery mechanism to scale up local actions that can deliver solutions to the interconnected challenges of land, nature, and climate. The event will highlight successful locally-led examples of initiatives undertaken by Indigenous Peoples and local communities in partnership with SGP, showcasing their effectiveness, impacts, and lessons learned.
Blue Zone Event: Showcasing the contribution of local actors to the implementation of the Great Green Wall strategy
Date and time: Dec 7, 13:00 to 14:40 | Venue: Blue Zone, MET-07
Land degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss are critical challenges that continue to affect the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Southern Africa region. The Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) has expanded today to include 22 countries across Africa. This event aims to showcase the contribution of local actors to Sustainable Land Management and explore opportunities to expand the initiative.
Blue Zone Event: Locally led landscape management for land degradation neutrality
Date and time: Dec 7, 18:00 to 19:30 | Venue: Blue Zone, MET-07
This side event will highlight the role and achievements of local CSOs, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities in designing and implementing nature-based solutions for sustainable land management, as well as their contributions to the goals of land degradation neutrality.
Pre COP SGP-Event: SGP Operational Phase 8 Pre COP16 Workshop (SGP Internal)
Dates: 30 Nov to 1 Dec | Venue: UNDP KSA Country Office
The workshop is an opportunity for more in-depth presentations on SGP landscape approaches, including new directions in governance, ecosystem restoration, and financing opportunities for local action.