Panama City, December 2025 — The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has concluded the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23) in Panama, bringing together representatives of 197 Parties to assess progress in addressing desertification, land degradation and drought.
The session took place against a backdrop of mounting pressure on global land resources. Participants noted that, if current trends persist, up to 16 million square kilometres of land could face continued degradation by 2050, even as global demand for food, water and energy continues to rise. Over recent decades, nearly two-thirds of the planet has become increasingly dry, with recent droughts causing significant economic and social impacts, including disruptions to traffic through the Panama Canal.
CRIC23 reviewed progress in implementing decisions adopted at the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UNCCD, held in Riyadh in December 2024, and discussed elements of the Convention’s post-2030 roadmap. Discussions focused on accelerating the implementation of sustainable land management practices and strengthening drought resilience worldwide.
UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad подчеркнула, что продолжающаяся деградация земель подрывает продовольственную безопасность, экономическую устойчивость и здоровье экосистем, и отметила необходимость масштабных инвестиций в восстановление земель и применение природоориентированных решений как ключевого условия долгосрочного развития и стабильности.
The session featured thematic dialogues on land tenure, the growing threat of sand and dust storms, and inclusive land governance, with the participation of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and local communities. New analytical reports, including those focusing on Small Island Developing States and rangelands, were launched during the meeting.
CRIC23 also marked the launch of the first voluntary dialogue on drought resilience under the Tafa’ul Process, initiated by the COP16 Presidency, and advanced preparations for the seventeenth Conference of the Parties (COP17), scheduled to take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in August 2026.
As host country, Panama highlighted the outcomes of its Nature Pledge, a national framework integrating action on land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change. Panama reaffirmed its commitment to restoring 100,000 hectares of degraded land by 2035 and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030.
The outcomes of CRIC23 will inform future decision-making under the UNCCD and contribute to the successful preparation of COP17, reinforcing global efforts to secure healthy, productive and resilient land worldwide.
📌 Source: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
