Mongolia’s Deputy Minister for Environment and Climate Change, B.Munkhtamir, participated in an event held during the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) to introduce the Riyadh Action Agenda Community Platform.

The platform builds on the Riyadh Action Agenda launched during UNCCD COP16 in Saudi Arabia in 2024. It is designed to bring together and showcase concrete actions being taken worldwide to combat land degradation and accelerate land restoration. The Riyadh Action Agenda aims to coordinate voluntary initiatives and actions by countries and other stakeholders to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. The Community Platform provides a digital space to connect partners and initiatives, track their contributions to land and soil restoration, and strengthen cooperation.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Munkhtamir expressed Mongolia’s support for the platform and said the government’s Steppe Initiative would be aligned with the Riyadh Action Agenda.

“As Mongolia hosts COP17, we attach great importance to maintaining continuity among host countries and sustaining the momentum of partnerships and cooperation established under previous presidencies. In this context, the Riyadh Action Agenda and Mongolia’s Steppe Initiative are complementary initiatives that can help accelerate concrete action under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification,” he said.

He highlighted three core components of Mongolia’s Steppe Initiative: the Pastureland Priority Initiative, Integrated Water and Land Management, and the Nature-based Sustainable Development Initiative. These initiatives are among those being connected to the Riyadh Action Agenda Community Platform.

Mongolia’s Billion Trees National Movement and 333 Lakes Initiative, along with projects implemented by civil society organizations, the private sector and research institutions, are also joining the platform. Mongolia will continue to work closely with partners from COP16, the UNCCD Secretariat, the Ambition Loop and members of the Riyadh Action Agenda to promote an integrated approach linking land, water, climate change and biodiversity, Deputy Minister Munkhtamir said.

The move underscores Mongolia’s efforts as host of COP17 to build on commitments and partnerships established at COP16 and translate them into coordinated action on land restoration and sustainable land management.