ANALYSIS: COP17: Top issues dividing, shaping ongoing negotiations in Mongolia

It is the 10th day of the ongoing two-week negotiations at the 17th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), with the conference entering its final and most critical phase.

Wednesday has been designated Land and Indigenous Peoples Day at the conference venue in Ulaanbaatar, placing renewed attention on land restoration, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and local communities.

With less than 72 hours to the scheduled conclusion of negotiations on Friday, tensions and disagreements have emerged across the plenary and negotiation rooms as parties struggle to reach consensus on some of the key issues on the COP17 agenda.

The disagreements began early in the conference, with procedural and substantive differences among parties over several agenda items. Indigenous peoples, civil society organisations and young people have also raised concerns about their participation in the formal process, insisting that their voices must be heard in decisions that directly affect their communities and livelihoods.

COP17 in Mongolia

COP17 kicked off in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, on 17 August under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope” and is scheduled to conclude on 28 August.

According to the United Nations, the conference brings together delegates from UNCCD’s 197 Parties, alongside government, business and civil society leaders, scientists, young people, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and smallholder farmers.

They are deliberating on solutions to the interconnected challenges of desertification, land degradation and drought, with a focus on how land restoration can reduce instability, prevent displacement and strengthen human and national security in vulnerable regions.

PREMIUM…