Antalya, Türkiye — The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in collaboration with partners, convened a regional capacity-building workshop on the 2026 UNCCD national reporting process from 30 March to 2 April 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye.
The workshop brought together 38 in-person participants, including national focal points, reporting officers and technical experts from Central and Eastern Europe, the Northern Mediterranean and Central Asia, reinforcing a shared commitment to improving the quality, consistency and timeliness of national reporting under the Convention. Participating countries included Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, alongside representatives of the European Union and partner organizations. In addition, more than 40 participants joined online, demonstrating strong regional engagement.
Organized with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the workshop forms part of a broader, sustained effort to support countries throughout the 2026 reporting cycle. It represents a key milestone in strengthening national capacities to monitor and report on progress in combating desertification, land degradation and drought, including achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and reporting on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 15.3.1.
The four-day programme combined technical training, peer-to-peer exchange and hands-on exercises, with a strong emphasis on practical application. Sessions covered the UNCCD reporting framework, methodologies for key indicators, and the use of tools such as the PRAIS platform and Trends.Earth. Participants engaged in guided exercises on indicators related to land cover change, land productivity dynamics and soil organic carbon, as well as integrated analysis under SDG indicator 15.3.1.
Particular emphasis was placed on strengthening national data ownership and enhancing countries’ ability to integrate global datasets with national data, ensuring reporting reflects country-specific contexts and realities. Discussions also highlighted common challenges, including data availability and quality, institutional coordination, and the need for sustained technical support.
The workshop further promoted alignment between UNCCD reporting and other global processes, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, underscoring the importance of integrated approaches to environmental monitoring and policy coherence.
In addition, participants explored approaches to integrated land-use planning and the operationalization of LDN targets, including identifying degradation hotspots and areas for improvement, as well as strategies to strengthen national coordination mechanisms across sectors and institutions.
The regional workshop in Türkiye is part of a series of capacity-building activities and serves as a foundational step in the 2026 reporting process. Following the workshop, countries will continue to receive tailored technical assistance through regional support hubs and UNCCD partners.
As a result, participants will be equipped to submit higher-quality and timely national reports, with the first reporting deadline scheduled for the end of November 2026.
