ESCWA at COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

ESCWA is co-organizing, leading, and participating in numerous activities across several events and side events at COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

ESCWA support is targeted towards discussions focused on enhancing regional cooperation for climate action, addressing challenges and solutions across water, desertification, land degradation, drought, combatting sand and dust storms, and food systems.

List of the events ESCWA is organizing and specifically contributing to, within key thematic areas:

ESCWA EVENTS: 

1. High-Level Breakfast Dialogue on the Near East and North Africa Regional Investment Framework on Ecosystem Restoration and Development Solutions in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) – Conveners: ESCWA, FAO, UNEP - 5 December: 09:00 – 10:30 – MET 25
2. Healing the Land: Confronting Degradation Amid Conflicts in the Arab Region – Conveners: ESCWA, LAS - 5 December: 11:00 – 12:30 - LAS Pavilion Blue Zone
3. Strengthening the Environmental Dimensions of Food Systems Amid Polycrisis in the Arab Region - Conveners: ESCWA, UNEP, FAO, AOAD – 5 December: 18:00 – 19:30 – MET-04
4. Urbanizing Resilience: Scaling Technical Solutions for Water Security and Land Degradation – Conveners: ESCWA, UN-Habitat - 6 December: 15:30 - 17:00 - Pavilion 4, Green Zone 
5. Enhancing Climate Resilience in Key Sectors in the Arab Region – Conveners: ESCWA, ICESCO – 10 December: 10:00 - 11:00
6. Water Savings in Urban Farming: Perspectives from the Dry Arab Region – Conveners: ESCWA, UN-Habitat ROAS – 10 December: 15:00 – 16:30 
7. Resilient Actions and Commitments for Combatting Sand and Dust Storms – Conveners: ESCWA, ESCAP – 10 December: 18:00 - 19:30 - MET-08
8. Fostering Interregional Collaboration on Sand and Dust Storms – Conveners: ESCWA, ESCAP – 11 December: 10:30 - 12:00 – LAS Pavilion Blue Zone

ESCWA at Partner Events: 

1. Multidimensional Understanding of Land, Water and Communities Fragility and Resilience Pathways in MENA – Conveners: IWMI - 4 December: 09:00-10:30 - CGIAR Pavilion
2. Land Day - Accelerating Action to Restore Degraded Land and Promote Sustainable Land Management - Successful Experiences in Dust Storm Management - Conveners: National Center of Meteorology KSA - 4 December: 11:30 – 13:00 – Online
3. Dry Lands, Green Cities: United for Urban Land Restoration – Conveners: ECE, WGEO – 4 December: 15:30 – 17:00 – MET-01
4. EMG High-Level Roundtable – Conveners: EMG – 4 December: 18:15 – 19:45 – MET-01 Blue Zone
5. Accelerating the achievement of SDG 6 and SDG 15 at the country level – Conveners: UN-Water, UNCCD – 6 December: 09:00-10:30 - Green Zone
6. Resilience to Address the Challenges of Land Degradation, Desertification, Drought and Water Scarcity – Conveners: KSA, UNCCD, WB, WMO, WFP - 10 December: 08:30-09:30 - MET-33
7. Resilience through Early Warning Systems - Conveners: UNCCD, WB, WMO, WFP - 10 December: 11:00-12:30 - MET-33