HAF at UNCCD COP17 | Civil Society Calls for Inclusive and Meaningful Action
The High Atlas Foundation is participating in UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as an accredited Civil Society Organization, following the negotiations and contributing to discussions on land restoration, drought resilience, sustainable agriculture, and community-led development.
The opening of COP17 has raised significant concerns among civil society organizations after three substantive agenda items were deferred pending further consultation, following objections raised by the United States . These items include gender, participation of civil society and Indigenous Peoples, synergies across the three Rio Conventions.
In response, the UNCCD Civil Society Organizations Panel, representing accredited observer organizations from all five UNCCD regions, stressed that effective implementation cannot happen without the meaningful participation of the people and communities directly affected by land degradation, desertification, and drought. Local communities, Indigenous Peoples, farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, researchers, and civil society organizations bring essential knowledge, experience, and practical solutions from the ground.
The CSO Panel has also called for stronger, more predictable and sustainable financing, greater transparency and accountability, and more direct investment in local communities, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and women-led organizations as key partners in implementation.
On 18 August, civil society representatives issued a declaration calling on the COP17 Presidency and Parties to reinstate the deferred items on the COP17 agenda and to establish a transparent and time-bound process for resolving them before the close of the conference. The declaration also calls for real, resourced and continuous participation of civil society, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, pastoralists, smallholders, women and youth throughout the negotiations, including in contact groups, drafting processes and final decision-making.
As COP17 continues, HAF will keep following the negotiations and bringing forward the experience of Moroccan rural communities, women and smallholder farmers whose leadership and knowledge are essential to sustainable land management and restoration.
For HAF, the discussions in Ulaanbaatar reinforce a central message: land restoration must be rooted in the realities, knowledge and leadership of the people who live and work on the land.
