16th COP of the UNCCD Commences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) commenced in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 2 December 2024. 

The COP to the UNFCCD is held every two years, and the 15th COP was held in May 2022 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

The UNCCD is one of three global agreements reached at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Organiser of the 16th COP of the UNCCD

The 16th Conference of Parties of the UNCCD is being organised by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and is hosted by the Saudi Arabian Government.

Theme of the 16th COP of the UNCCD

The theme of the 16th COP of the UNCCD is Our Land. Our Future. 

Who represented India at the 16th COP of the UNCCD

The Indian delegation at the 16th CoP of the UNCCD is being jointly led by the  Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav and the chief minister of Haryana, Nayab Singh Saini.

Bhupendra Yadav planted a tree sapling at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh as per the government’s India’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative.

For details about the ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ initiative, read 

What is UNCCD?

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, organised by the United Nations Environment Programme in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 3-14 June 1992.
• The Convention entered into force on 26 December 1996 and currently has 197 parties. 
• The UNCCD aims to stop desertification and land degradation worldwide. Land degradation and increasing desertification are among the major causes of biodiversity destruction and climate change.
• The UNCCD aims to reverse desertification and land degradation and reclaim lands through a scientific method. To this end, in 2011, at the 10th CoP of the UNCCD, held in South Korea, a Changwon Initiative was launched. 
• The South Korean government supported the Changwon initiative aimed at a Land degradation-neutral world using best scientific practices. 
• Over 120 countries have set a Land degradation neutrality target under the Changwon initiative.

What is the Conference of Parties(COP)?

• The Conference of Parties (COP) refers to the countries/ organisations that have signed and ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 
• At present, 196 countries and the European Union are parties to the UNFCCC.

Other Two Environmental Summits of 2024

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an agreement that seeks to stop and reverse the effects of global warming and climate change.
• The COP of the UNFCCC is held annually and discusses ways to reduce carbon emissions so as to achieve the 2015 Paris Agreement target. 
• The 29th  Conference of Parties (CoP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. 
• The Belem City of Brazil will host the 30th CoP of the UNFCCC in November 2025.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 

• The Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) is a United Nations agreement to protect the planet's biodiversity.
• The 16th session of the Conference of Parties (CoP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024. The meeting was suspended due to a lack of quorum.
• The 16th COP of the Convention on Biological Diversity will resume in Rome, Italy, from 25 to 27 February.
• The COP of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is held every two years.