The gavel has come down on the final closing plenary of the UNCCD COP17 ‘Land COP’ in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, reaching conclusions on pivotal global framework agreements, major declarations, and critical funding shortfalls. 

Four agenda items — on drought, migration, synergistically supporting aridity and drought planning and adaptation; and knowledge sharing, technology transfer and innovation — were deferred to COP18, and discussions on gender, civil society and synergies with other multilateral conventions had been blocked early in the first week. 

UNDP has welcomed the adoption and presentation of key declarations and frameworks, including: The Ulaanbaatar Declaration, adopted by local and regional leaders to advance municipal-level sustainable land management and elevate the permanent role of cities within the UNCCD; the Global Pastoralist Declaration which was presented during the conference to formally call for greater land tenure rights and structural protections for the world's 500,000+ pastoralists; and the Steppe Action Agenda which was introduced by the Mongolian Presidency to champion nature-based infrastructure, rangeland management, and the crucial water-land nexus. 

UNDP also applauds new financing commitments with approximately $1.3 billion pledged toward drought mitigation and land restoration but values the recognition of the significant financing gap that remains, noting that global funding remains highly inadequate relative to the scale of advancing desertification. 

We commend Mongolia for its role as host and its commitments and leadership in protecting and restoring land and sustainable development, and welcome the news that Egypt will officially host the next United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification conference, UNCCD COP18, in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2028.  

UNDP is proud to continue its partnership and collaboration with Mongolia, particularly in support of the Steppe Action Agenda and its core legacy pillars, including the Rangelands Flagship Initiative with a commitment to expanding international cooperation and investment to restore degraded rangelands, protect food security, and assist the more than 500 million pastoralists globally. 

UNDP remains committed to its work with all partner countries to streamline planning across Land Degradation Neutrality Targets (LDNs), NBSAPs, and NDCs, ensuring that strategies across all three RIO conventions align and mutually reinforce each other, maximizing our shared capacity to achieve ambitious and coherent land-climate-nature goals and drive sustainable development forward, for all people – including women, youth, Indigenous People and local communities - and for our whole planet.