The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
There are currently 197 Parties to the Convention, encompassing all 193 member states of the United Nations, the European Union, the Cook Islands, and Niue. Australia ratified the convention in 2000.
The Convention covers a number of themes in which Australia has both a domestic and international interest, including desertification, land degradation, drought, sustainable development, sustainable land management, drought mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
The Conference of the Parties (COP)
COP 15 will be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from 9 – 20 May 2022. The theme of this COP is Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.
Information on previous COP meetings can be found here.
National Reporting
For the COP to be able to support an effective achievement of the Convention’s strategic objectives, reliable and up-to-date information must be readily available.
In accordance with article 26, it is a requirement under the Convention for Parties to communicate about measures undertaken to implement the Convention, results achieved and challenges they faced along the way.
The reporting process occurs every four years. Australia’s last national report was completed in 2018 and can be found here. The next report is due in 2022.
More information on the reporting process can be found here.