On 17 June 2026, on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, CARI organized a webinar dedicated to the issues at stake for COP17 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which will take place in Mongolia.
Entitled “From Désertif’actions 2026 to COP17: issues and priorities to strengthen territorial resilience to drought”, the webinar aimed to connect the lessons learned from the preparatory work and the international Désertif’actions Summit held in Djerba with the opportunities for mobilization and advocacy in the lead-up to COP17.
Moderated by Jérôme Enjalbert (Program Officer at CARI), the webinar brought together several speakers representing different categories of stakeholders involved in the UNCCD process:
- Philippine Dutailly – Editor for Desertification and Land Degradation at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, National Focal Point for the UNCCD, and Chair of the CRIC (Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention)
- Adeline Derkimba – Program Director, CARI
- Natasha Maru – Global Coordinator for Pastures and Pastoralists, International Land Coalition
- Ellen Otaru-Okoedion – Africa Representative on the UNCCD Civil Society Organizations Panel
- Nicolas Cimbaro – Head of International Relations, Aude Departmental Council
The discussions provided an opportunity to review the main political and technical issues at stake for COP17, particularly around drought resilience, rangelands and pastoralists, land degradation neutrality, and the role of science in decision-making. They also highlighted the importance of dialogue spaces open to civil society organizations, local authorities and grassroots actors.
Several strong messages emerged from the discussion. Droughts can no longer be considered as occasional crises: they are now a structural risk for territories, calling for anticipatory and coordinated responses rooted in local realities. Speakers also stressed that territories, local authorities, civil society organizations, pastoralists and local communities must be more fully recognized as central actors in building resilience.
The webinar also helped identify several advocacy priorities ahead of COP17: better equipping territories, strengthening prevention, supporting pastoral systems, improving access to finance, ensuring the effective participation of civil society and local authorities, and turning the recommendations from Désertif’actions into concrete messages to be carried into negotiation spaces.
The full webinar report is now available. It presents the main lessons from the speakers’ contributions, the key messages shared during the discussion, and the mobilization pathways identified to continue the momentum towards COP17.
Read the full report here
Watch the webinar replay: REPLAY
