Saudi Arabia and UNCCD have inked an agreement for COP16 set to take place in Riyadh

The preparations for the 16th session of the Convention's Conference of the Parties (COP16), which is scheduled to take place in Riyadh from December 2 to December 13, 2024, have formally begun with the signing of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The next COP16 in Riyadh will go down in history as the biggest assembly of the 197 parties to the UNCCD. It will also be the biggest multilateral conference Saudi Arabia has ever hosted and the first of its type to take place in the Middle East. In addition, the UNCCD, one of the three main environmental accords known as the Rio Conventions, together with climate change and biodiversity, will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024.

The primary goal of the Riyadh COP16 is to galvanise governments, corporations, and people throughout the globe to accelerate efforts towards land restoration and improve drought resilience, acknowledging their critical role in guaranteeing the security of food, water, and energy. The two-week programme will include a high-level section in addition to associated events like the Business for Land Forum and the Gender Caucus.

As one of the most water-scarce regions in the world, Riyadh faces challenges from desertification and land degradation. Therefore, COP16 will provide a forum to showcase ongoing efforts in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and other regions, demonstrating a shift towards environmental sustainability based on responsible land stewardship.