Combat desertification COP17: Indigenous Peoples’ representatives seek meaningful participation
The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opened on August 17, 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme "Restoring Land, Restoring Hope," and runs until August 28, 2026
On the opening day, several contested agenda items — gender-responsive land policy, migration linked to land degradation, drought and rangelands management, and civil society participation frameworks — were deferred for later consultation rather than taken up directly
Indigenous Peoples' representatives, civil society organisations, pastoralist groups and youth delegates staged demonstrations demanding meaningful involvement in official negotiations, arguing that a dedicated but advisory Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities Caucus set up for this COP is not a substitute for a seat at the negotiating table
Civil society groups have asked COP17 to confirm the format, convenor and reporting timeline for the deferred agenda items before the session concludes, warning that under UNCCD procedure, unresolved deferred items would otherwise carry forward to COP18
UNCCD — UN Convention to Combat Desertification (1994)
The UNCCD is a legally binding international agreement that links environment and development to sustainable land management, with a specific focus on drylands, arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas facing desertification and drought. It is one of the three "Rio Conventions" that emerged from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, alongside the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Key Details
- Adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994; entered into force in December 1996
- India ratified the UNCCD on 17 December 1996
- The Conference of the Parties (COP), the Convention's supreme decision-making body under UNCCD Article 22, meets biennially (every two years) to review implementation and adopt decisions
- India hosted COP14 in September 2019 at Greater Noida, where the non-binding "Delhi Declaration" was adopted and India raised its land restoration pledge to 26 million hectares by 2030 (up from an earlier 21-million-hectare target)
COP17 in Ulaanbaatar is the biennial governing session of the UNCCD; the current dispute over agenda items and Indigenous participation is a procedural fight over how this treaty body conducts its negotiations.
Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and India's Bonn Challenge Commitment
Land Degradation Neutrality is a UNCCD-driven target framework (endorsed at the 2015 Sustainable Development Summit as part of SDG 15.3) under which countries aim to ensure that the amount and quality of land resources remain stable or improve, balancing any land degradation with equivalent restoration.
Key Details
- India voluntarily committed to LDN and to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, announced at UNCCD COP14 (2019)
- As of mid-2026, India has brought roughly 21.76 million hectares under restoration, according to official progress data tied to the Bonn Challenge
- LDN targets are operationalised nationally under the UNCCD's Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme
Rangelands management — one of the agenda items deferred at COP17 — is directly tied to LDN implementation, since degraded rangelands and pasturelands are a major category of land targeted for restoration under national LDN commitments.
Role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in Environmental Conventions
Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) are recognised across the three Rio Conventions as key stakeholders in land, biodiversity and climate governance, given their traditional knowledge systems and dependence on natural resources, but their formal negotiating status varies by convention.
Key Details
- Under the CBD, IPLCs' role is anchored in Article 8(j) (respecting traditional knowledge relevant to biodiversity conservation) and reinforced through Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles under the Nagoya Protocol (2010) on Access and Benefit-Sharing
- The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) explicitly recognises IPLC contributions and rights, including in the 30x30 target (Target 3)
- Unlike Party delegations, Indigenous caucuses at UNCCD COPs (such as the one convened for the first time at COP17) function in an observer/advisory capacity without formal voting or negotiating rights under the Convention's Rules of Procedure
- Pastoralist and civil society networks participate in the UNCCD process largely through accredited Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Panel mechanisms, not as Parties
The core grievance at COP17 is this structural gap — Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and civil society can observe and advocate through caucuses and panels, but cannot formally negotiate text, unlike state Parties.
- UNCCD COP17 dates: August 17–28, 2026, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- UNCCD adopted: 17 June 1994 (Paris); entered into force: December 1996; India ratified: 17 December 1996
- UNCCD is one of three Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD), all originating from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit
- India's LDN pledge: 26 million hectares restored by 2030 (announced at COP14, New Delhi, 2019); ~21.76 million hectares restored as of mid-2026
- COP17 theme: "Restoring Land, Restoring Hope"
- Agenda items deferred at COP17 opening: gender-responsive policy, migration, drought and rangelands management, civil society participation frameworks