FAO at the UN Desertification Conference COP16

In this context, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is at COP16 advocating for global action to bring degraded agricultural land back into sustainable production to ensure food security while supporting biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services that benefit human well-being.

FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, Abdulhakim Elwaer leads FAO’s Delegation and will speak and participate in a series of events throughout the conference.

Sustainable land restoration and management in the NENA region

COP16 coincides with the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and marks the first UNCCD COP in the Middle East and North Africa region, which knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation, and drought.

FAO is set to play a pivotal role at COP16 and will highlight its integrated, innovative approaches to combat land degradation and promote sustainable land management in the region. Key action areas include promoting agroforestry, supporting sustainable grazing practices, encouraging conservation agriculture, and tackling water scarcity through efficient management.