Reflections from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification COP17

The triple COP year opened in style in August, with Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, serving as the gathering point for COP17, the first of three Rio Convention meetings taking place in 2026. The late-summer proceedings of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification drew much attention, as analysts and advocates anticipated that this event could set the tone for the next two conventions as it sought meaningful progress on global commitments to action.  

Robin Beckham represented the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, which was honored to participate in this COP as an accredited organization for the first time.  

Discussions on land restoration, sustainable working lands, drought resilience, and conservation finance directly reflected the institute’s ongoing work in land conservation policy, water resource management, and nature-based solutions. The institute’s work spans many of the themes addressed at the “COP on Land,” from regenerative agriculture and sustainable working lands to economic development and climate resilience. Despite delays in formal negotiations due to political challenges, COP17 produced a $1.3 billion portfolio of investments for land restoration and drought resilience, including the $1.2 billion multinational Rangelands Flagship Initiative. While the negotiations focused on land degradation neutrality, restoration, and global targets at a high level, side events explored topics such as practical restoration approaches, public-private initiatives to reduce land degradation, and sustainable agriculture policies. Consistent with the programmatic focus of the Lincoln Institute, we look forward to supporting policies and planning efforts to reduce land degradation and increase restoration and resilience around the world.  

In addition to the major announcements from the main stage, The Nature Conservancy in Mongolia, together with the Mongolian Nature Legacy Foundation, hosted several side events marking the advancement of protected lands and restoration activities in Mongolia. A key focus was Eternal Mongolia, a Project Finance for Permanence initiative designed to expand protected areas, increase land under effective community stewardship, and create long-term financing mechanisms for stewardship and restoration. These discussions were particularly relevant to the Lincoln Institute through the International Land Conservation Network, which supports private and civic land conservation practitioners around the world. COP17 provided valuable opportunities to learn from conservation finance and stewardship models, while strengthening connections with organizations working to advance durable conservation outcomes on a landscape scale.  

Looking ahead to the Convention on Biological Diversity COP17 and Climate Change COP31, planned for October and November respectively, the appetite was strong for synergies across the Rio Conventions’ indicators–although the separation of the Conventions was also a point of contention in formal negotiations. As one attendee remarked, “People on the ground are not experiencing this as three separate crises. Biodiversity, climate change, and land degradation and desertification have always been linked.” These global agreements should work in concert to advance the work more quickly and effectively, some argue. This more holistic view of the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation aligns closely with the Lincoln Institute’s perspective that well-managed landscapes can deliver multiple environmental and community benefits.  

How effectively these new commitments translate into action remains to be seen, but the UNCCD COP17 reiterated the critical importance of land in responses to the crises of climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation and desertification. 

Robin Beckham is a policy analyst for land conservation at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Lead image: Sign for COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Credit: Robin Beckham.