*[Enwl-eng] G20 race to reduce land degradation begins

[ENWL]

G20 race to reduce land degradation beginsKingdom of Saudi Arabia and UNCCD 
sign Cooperation Agreement to start work on G20 Initiative to reduce land 
degradation save ecosystems


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                              G20 race to reduce land degradation begins

                              Riyadh, 30 November 2021 – The Minister of 
Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 
Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley, and the Executive Secretary of the United 
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, 
this morning signed a cooperation agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi 
Arabia and UNCCD to implement the G20 Global Initiative on Reducing Land 
Degradation and Enhancing the Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats.

                              The Initiative, adopted during the G20 Saudi 
Presidency in 2020, aims to realize the G20 leaders’ aspiration to halve 
degraded land by 2040. The agreement commits the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to 
provide financial support to implement the Initiative’s aspirations as laid 
out in annex (I) of the 2020 G20 Environment Ministers' Communique.

                              The terms include the G20’s aim to prevent, 
halt, and reverse the degradation of land on every continent, complement and 
support existing initiatives and avoid duplicating efforts. To this end, the 
G20 Global Initiative will work in tandem with existing multilateral 
initiatives, and add momentum to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem 
Restoration.

                              G20 is made up of the world’s 20 most powerful 
economies. They account for more than 80 percent of the world’s Gross 
Domestic Product, 75 percent of global trade and 60 percent of the 
population of the planet.

                              The United Nations Convention to Combat 
Desertification will house the mechanisms needed for the effective 
implementation of the Initiative, as laid out in the 2020 G20 Environment 
Ministers' Communique.

                              “We have one shot – this decade – to save our 
lands. Saudi Arabia's pledge is to provide financial support for a strong 
start to the implementation of the G20 Global Initiative on Reducing Land 
Degradation and Enhancing the Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats. This 
also signals the G20’s commitment to lead in the global efforts to reduce 
land degradation and restore degraded land to deliver multiple benefits at 
national, regional, and global levels for people and the planet,” said 
Minister AlFadley.

                              “The G20 Global Initiative will reduce land 
degradation, support biodiversity conservation, build resilience to and 
mitigate the effects of climate change and drought, as well as lock away 
carbon in the soil, contribute to food security and provide incomes and jobs 
to local populations. We hope this pledge motivates everyone - governments, 
the private sector, ordinary people – to be part of the change we all want 
to see,” he added.

                              Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, said 
“in the Middle East and across the world, land degradation is a substantial 
and growing problem. The leadership of the G20 countries through this Global 
Initiative may become a watershed moment in the global turn to good land 
stewardship and the restoration of balance with nature.”

                              “The G20 Global Initiative brings to the table 
at least three new elements. First, it incentivizes the global community to 
tackle climate change, biodiversity losses and land degradation together. 
Second, it demands that while we think globally, we pursue inclusive 
solutions at the regional and national levels alongside indigenous and local 
communities, with their traditional knowledge at the heart of action. Third, 
it demands the engagement of the public and private actors,” Thiaw added.

                              The G20 Rome Leaders’ declaration issued in 
October in Italy elaborated in greater detail how good land use and 
stewardship can solve some of the most urgent global challenges facing 
humanity today.

                              In the Rome declaration, G20 leaders confirmed 
their continued support for the Global Initiative and their eagerness for 
the implementation strategy and its operational plan.

                              UNCCD, after a workshop organized by the 
Italian Presidency of the G20, is developing the 10-year strategy and a 
flexible and an adaptable three-year operational plan through a consultative 
process with G20 countries and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

                              Land restoration and drought will be at the 
heart of discussions to be held at the UNCCD COP15 taking place in Abidjan, 
Côte d’Ivoire in May 2022.


                              Notes to Editors:

                                1.. G20 Rome Leaders’ Declaration, 30-31 
October 2021
                                2.. Leaders’ declaration from the G20 Riyadh 
Summit, 21-22 November 2020
                                3.. G20 Environment Ministers Communiqué, 
16 September 2020

                              About the G20
                              The G20 is the international forum that brings 
together the world’s major economies. The forum has met every year since 
1999 and includes, since 2008, a yearly Summit, with the participation of 
the respective Heads of State and Government. The G20 members are: 
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, India, 
Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, 
Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Spain 
is also invited as a permanent guest. Each year, the Presidency invites 
guest countries, which take full part in the G20 exercise. Several 
international and regional organizations also participate, granting the 
forum an even broader representation.








                                About the UNCCD
                                The United Nations Convention to Combat 
Desertification (UNCCD) is the only legally binding international agreement 
on land issues. The Convention promotes good land stewardship. Its 197 
Parties aim, through partnerships, to implement the Convention and achieve 
the Sustainable Development Goals. The end goal is to protect our land, from 
over-use and drought, so it can continue to provide us all with food, water 
and energy. By sustainably managing land and striving to achieve land 
degradation neutrality, now and in the future, we will reduce the impact of 
climate change, avoid conflict over natural resources and help communities 
to thrive.























                              Copyright © 2017* United Nations Convention to 
Combat Desertification*, All rights reserved.

                              For more information on the Press Release, 
contact
                              Wagaki Wischnewski
                              Public Information and Media Officer



                              From: UNCCD Secretariat
                              Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2021 4:44 PM
                              Subject: G20 race to reduce land degradation 
begins







 
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