ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — The 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is underway in Ulaanbaatar, bringing together representatives from 196 countries and the European Union to negotiate key decisions on land degradation, desertification, and drought resilience.  

A major highlight of the High-Level Segment was the official global launch of the Rangelands Flagship Initiative, spearheaded by Mongolia. The initiative aims to scale up worldwide investments to protect, sustainably use, and restore rangelands across three core pillars: knowledge, investment, and institutional cooperation.  

Key Highlights & Global Commitments

• Tangible Financial Backing: Translating policy into direct investment, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its partners announced the Financing Investments and Eradicating Land Degradation and Desertification (FIELD) initiative during COP17, aiming to mobilize up to US$2 billion to combat land degradation and desertification across the Asia-Pacific region.  Ulrich Appel, land degradation lead at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat said that the GEF supports the development and coordination of the initiatives through a US$3.3 million grant to the UNCCD COP17 Legacy Project that will leverage another US$8 million in co-financing from Mongolia and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

• Shift in Global Perspective: The initiative reinforces a growing international consensus that rangeland and land restoration are not strictly environmental issues, but critical factors in food security, pastoral livelihoods, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and investment.  

• Preparatory Efforts: Mongolia has actively driven the development of this global initiative since 2023 in close collaboration with the UNCCD and partner organizations.  

Negotiations Behind the Scenes

Behind the announcements lies a complex multilateral negotiation process involving 197 Parties. Delegations are reviewing draft decisions word-for-word on priority topics, including drought resilience, rangelands and pastoralists, agricultural lands and soil health, resource mobilization, private sector engagement, and the UNCCD’s future strategic direction. Mongolia's Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Foreign Affairs are actively leading efforts to bridge positions and achieve actionable outcomes.  

Moving From Commitments to Action

Running through August 28, COP17 focuses on turning pledges into scalable, funded solutions. Alongside negotiations, side events are spotlighting sustainable consumption, responsible production, and eco-friendly choices, underscoring how individual consumer decisions impact land, water, and natural resources.