Ulaanbaatar: Saudi Arabia's presidency of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) reaffirmed the continuity of international cooperation on land degradation, drought resilience, and sustainable land restoration as the 17th session of the conference concluded in Ulaanbaatar. Saudi Arabia handed the COP presidency to Mongolia at the opening of COP17, bringing to a close nearly two years of term focused on following up on the outcomes of the Riyadh conference, strengthening diplomatic engagement, advancing the Riyadh Action Agenda, supporting negotiations, and linking drought with water and food security.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Deputy Minister for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Adviser to the COP16 President Dr. Osama Faqeeha said Saudi Arabia's COP16 presidency had brought land degradation and drought to the forefront of international environmental discussions. He said the presidency extended beyond hosting the Riyadh conference in December 2024, encompassing two years of leadership in formal meetings of the convention's bodies and participation in international events aimed at maintaining momentum around the outcomes of COP16 and advancing multilateral efforts to implement its initiatives and objectives.
Among the initiatives launched by Saudi Arabia was the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, which now includes 64 countries and 30 international organizations, with financial commitments exceeding $2 billion. COP17 also saw the full launch of the second phase of the International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), following the unveiling of its initial prototype at COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024.
The observatory is being developed by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), whose secretariat is hosted by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, in partnership with the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture, the project's lead developer. COP16 presidency also formally launched the Riyadh Action Agenda Community Platform and chaired the final meeting of the COP Bureau before handing over the presidency to Mongolia.
The Saudi presidency also convened the second meeting of the partnership's Steering Committee and the first meeting of the Partnership Members Assembly, building on its work on a proposed global drought framework through the so-called 'Tafa'ul Process' meetings in Panama, Bonn, and Cairo, as well as a ministerial meeting in Nairobi. COP17 also highlighted the role of the 11th World Water Forum, scheduled to take place in Riyadh in March 2027, in translating international commitments and partnerships into practical, measurable, and implementable solutions.
Saudi Arabia also received a World Restoration Flagship award from the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The award recognized Saudi Arabia's National Greening Program, part of the Saudi Green Initiative overseen by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
Saudi Arabia hosted a pavilion showcasing the outcomes of COP16 and national efforts in environmental protection, sustainable water management, rural development, and food security. The pavilion in the conference's Blue Zone hosted 40 events involving 22 Saudi government and national entities, while nine additional events were held as part of the official conference program.