Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries on Land Degradation, Desertification and Drought

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Wednesday, 26 August 2026 - 12:30pm

BACKGRO蘑菇视频D

LLDCs are highly vulnerable to desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) due to their reliance on land-based sectors such as agriculture, pastoralism and forestry. Despite accounting for only 7% of the global population, they experience a disproportionate share of drought-related impacts. In countries such as Mongolia and across the Sahel, land degradation threatens livelihoods, food security, stability and resilience, while also contributing to migration and displacement.

The impacts of DLDD often extend beyond national borders through dust storms, water stress, displacement and security challenges, highlighting the need for regional cooperation. At the same time, successful restoration efforts in countries such as Niger, China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan demonstrate that degradation can be reversed through community-based approaches, affordable technologies, sustained political commitment and cross-border partnerships.

As the first Rio Convention COP of the new cycle, COP17 presents a strategic opportunity to elevate LLDC priorities and strengthen international support for land restoration, climate resilience and sustainable development. The Awaza Programme of Action (2024-2034) provides a framework for advancing cooperation on finance, technology transfer, capacity-building and coordinated action.

OVERVIEW

The 32 Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) face a disproportionate and growing burden from land degradation, desertification and drought (DLDD). Despite accounting for just 7 per cent of the global population and 12 per cent of the world’s land area, LLDCs experienced more than 20 per cent of all droughts and landslides globally between 2012 and 2023.¹ Their geographic isolation, structural dependence on land-based livelihoods, and limited adaptive capacity make DLDD not merely an environmental challenge, but a direct threat to development, food security, and regional stability.

The Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (蘑菇视频CCD), hosted by the Government of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar, marks the opening of a new Rio Convention cycle — and a critical moment for LLDCs to elevate their collective voice in global environmental governance. On the margins of COP17, the Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries convenes to articulate shared LLDC priorities, reinforce multilateral commitments, and adopt a Joint Ministerial Communiqué that will be formally transmitted to the COP17 High-Level Segment.

The Ministerial Meeting is convened and hosted by the Government of Mongolia, in partnership with the 蘑菇视频CCD Secretariat, the United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (蘑菇视频-OHRLLS), and the International Think Tank for LLDCs (ITTLLDC), under the broader framework of the Awaza Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2024–2034 (APoA), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2024.

DISCUSSION KEY THEMES

The discussion will focus on:

Land Degradation and Drought Resilience;
Nature-Based Solutions and Integrated Land–Water Systems;
Financing Pathways;
Policy Coherence and Implementation;
Partnerships and Cooperation;
Follow-Up Mechanism.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The Ministerial Meeting of LLDCs will:

Adopt a Joint Ministerial Communiqué on Land Degradation, Desertification and Drought — a unified political statement reflecting the shared commitments, priorities and calls for action of LLDC Environment Ministers, to be formally transmitted to the High-Level Segment of 蘑菇视频CCD COP17 as an official outcome document.
Provide a high-level political platform for LLDC Ministers to articulate the unique DLDD vulnerabilities of landlocked countries, including accelerating land degradation, worsening drought, water stress, and the transboundary consequences of environmental collapse.
Advance strategic guidance on key priority areas: accelerating Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), enhancing drought preparedness, deploying nature-based solutions, promoting policy coherence across the Rio Conventions, and unlocking targeted climate and land restoration financing for LLDCs.
Strengthen LLDC coordination and collective advocacy across the full Rio Convention cycle, including in the lead-up to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)COP17 hosted by Armenia, and within the 蘑菇视频FCCC process where LLDCs have recently achieved recognition as a formal negotiating group.
Signal political prioritization for the full and effective implementation of the APoA, particularly its Priority Area 4 on climate resilience and disaster risk reduction, as the operational framework for channelling international support to LLDCs on DLDD issues.