Global Policy Dialogue opens in Mongolia to advance pastoralist rights ahead of COP17

A landmark gathering aims to elevate pastoralists’ rights, mobility and rangeland governance ahead of UNCCD COP17

Ulaanbaatar, 9 June 2026 - More than 100 representatives of governments, pastoralist organisations, civil society, research institutions and international agencies from 13 countries are gathering in Ulaanbaatar this week for the Global Policy Dialogue on Pastoralism, Mobility and Rangelands, a landmark moment on the road to the seventeenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), which Mongolia will host in August 2026.

Co-organised by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia (MOFALI), the International Land Coalition (ILC), the National Land Coalition (NLC) Mongolia and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the dialogue forms part of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and ILC’s global Mobility Matters campaign. It aims to generate concrete policy recommendations that will contribute directly to discussions at UNCCD COP17.

The dialogue comes at a critical moment for the world’s rangelands and pastoralist communities. An estimated 500 million pastoralists worldwide manage lands covering more than 40 percent of the Earth’s surface. Rangelands are the world’s largest terrestrial ecosystem and store an estimated 34 percent of global terrestrial carbon, making their sustainable management critical for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and food security.

Under the banner of the Mobility Matters campaign, participants will advance a simple but urgent message: mobility is not a problem to be controlled, but a solution that requires recognition, protection and investment.

Bringing together governments, pastoralist leaders and practitioners from Africa, Asia and Europe, the dialogue highlights the growing importance of South-South cooperation, demonstrating that the challenges facing rangelands goes beyond borders and requires collective action.

The Global Policy Dialogue seeks to advance a common set of priorities for UNCCD COP17, including:

• Recognising and protecting pastoralists’ rights to land, territory and mobility;
• Strengthening tenure security as the foundation of sustainable rangeland management;
• Protecting mobility as a climate adaptation and drought resilience strategy;
• Increasing direct investment in pastoralist-led organisations and governance systems;
• Ensuring pastoralists, particularly women and youth, have a meaningful role in decision-making;
• Improving data and monitoring systems so pastoralist realities are reflected in climate, land and restoration policies; and
• Advancing stronger international commitments on rangelands and pastoralist rights at COP17.

The outcomes of the Global Policy Dialogue will contribute directly to preparations for COP17, where governments will have an opportunity to advance stronger commitments on pastoralist rights, mobility, restoration, tenure security and inclusive governance.

About Mobility Matters

Mobility Matters is a global campaign led by pastoralist organisations, members and partners of the International Land Coalition. It seeks to ensure that pastoralist voices and priorities are reflected in global, regional and national policy processes, including UNCCD COP17.

More: www.mobilitymatters2026.org