Using the analogy of elephants with their supportive social structures that form the basis of their resilience in the face of great challenges, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw encouraged all to put the major disruption of the past two years behind, and demonstrate the resilience of the UNCCD’s commitment to continue the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought. These and other inspiring remarks comprised the official opening of the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
COP 14 Presidency’s Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India, opened the session, with the incoming COP 15 President, Alain-Richard Donwahi, former Minister of Water and Forests, Côte d’Ivoire, challenging parties to act positively and constructively by focusing on the COP 15 theme of “Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.”
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Côte d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara called for COP 15 to be an event for action, partnership and solidarity by the international community for those in drought distress.
Parties expressed their support for the work of the UNCCD Secretariat and scientists advising the Science-Policy Interface (SPI) in opening statements throughout the morning, and in the afternoon the Committee of the Whole (COW) met to consider organizational matters, the programme of work and budget, and policy frameworks and thematic issues.
The Committee on Science and Technology (CST) opened its 20th session in parallel, and following opening remarks from parties, the Committee considered:
- Policy-oriented recommendations resulting from evidence on the potential contribution of integrated land use planning (ILUP) and integrated landscape management (ILM) to positive transformative change, achieving land degradation neutrality and addressing desertification/land degradation and drought issues, under objective 1 of the Science-Policy Interface work programme for the biennium 2020–2021; and
- Evidence on the potential contribution of integrated land use planning and integrated landscape management to positive transformative change, achieving land degradation neutrality and addressing desertification/land degradation and drought issues.
Two COW contact groups and one CST contact group were established and met in the evening.
A series of side events took place throughout the day.
All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For UNCCD COP 15, please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth.
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Opening Ceremony of COP 15
Dignitaries attend the opening ceremony
Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, UNCCD, congratulates Alain-Richard Donwahi, Côte d'Ivoire (left), on his election as COP 15 President
Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, UNCCD, Alain-Richard Donwahi, COP 15 President, and Bhupender Yadav, COP 14 President
Alassane Ouattara, President of Côte d'Ivoire
Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary, UNCCD
Bhupender Yadav, COP 14 President
Alain-Richard Donwahi, COP 15 President
A delegate takes notes during the session
Delegates listen during the session
Guisell Morales-Echaverry, Nicaragua, on behalf of the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC)
Manzoor Chaudry, Pakistan, on behalf of the G-77/China
Serdar Yegül, Turkey, on behalf of the Northern Mediterranean Group
Florika Fink-Hooijer, EU
Andrei Kuzmich, Belarus, on behalf of Central and Eastern Europe
Abderrahim Houmy, Morocco, on behalf of the African Group
Patrick Reilly, US, on behalf of Australia, Canada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and the UK (JUSCANZ)
Abdu Gasem Al Sharif, Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the Arab Group
Committee of the Whole
Delegates attend the Committee of the Whole (COW)
Francisco Jose Avila, COW Chair
Betty Schroder, Namibia
Zhou Kangning, China
Dominga Concepcion Polanco, Dominican Republic
Amiya Prapan Chakraborty, Civil Society Organizations
Kozaki Hitoshi, Japan
Delegates raise their placards to ask for the floor
Angelo Paulo Sales dos Santos, Brazil
Committee on Science and Technology
View of the dais for the Committee on Science and Technology (CST)
Bongani Masuku, CST Chair
Pablo Viegas Aurelio, Argentina, on behalf of GRULAC
Ahmed Abdelati Ahmed, Egypt, on behalf of the African Group
Hamid Čustović, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on behalf of Central and Eastern Europe
Inganga Francis, Kenya
Mohammed Alzuhairi, Civil Society Organizations
Delegates during the session
Cultural Performance on Drought
With drought as the theme for the day, a cultural performance brings to life the devastation caused by drought and highlights the importance of land restoration to create a greener, more sustainable future for all.
Georges Momboye, Ivorian choreographer, directed the performance
Around the Venue
UN Security around the venue
Delegates between sessions
Around the venue
Documents on display around the venue
