Saudi Arabia Urges Global Participation in COP16 Riyadh to Combat Land Degradation

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasized the importance of enhancing international cooperation at all levels to address the serious environmental challenges threatening the Earth. Saudi Arabia called for doubling efforts to reduce land degradation worldwide and mitigate drought effects, and urged raising awareness about the importance of land conservation and addressing the severe impacts caused by land degradation and drought.
This came in a speech by Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and the upcoming president of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) Eng. Abdulrahman AlFadley at “The Road to Riyadh” session held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
The session was attended by head of the Kingdom’s delegation and Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah; Saudi Ambassador to the United States of America Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of the Cabinet and Envoy for Climate Adel Al-Jubeir; Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasel; and UNCCD Undersecretary-General and Executive Secretary Dr. Ibrahim Thiaw.
The event, hosted by Saudi Arabia, focused on the upcoming UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh and gather momentum for global efforts to address land degradation and drought and their social, environmental, and economic impacts.
“We hope COP16 in Riyadh will mark a turning point in the path of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. We call on the international community to actively participate in COP16. There is a need to double joint efforts to reduce land degradation, combat drought, and promote environmental preservation and sustainability,” said AlFadley
AlFadley added that hosting COP16 is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to protect the environment locally, regionally, and globally. He pointed out that the Kingdom had taken several steps to protect the environment, including launching the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, as well as the Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats, which was adopted by the Group of Twenty (G20) during Saudi Arabia’s presidency.