LAND RIGHTS at COP17
DROUGHT, DESERTIFICATION, AND THE RIGHT TO LAND
COP17 is taking place during the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026) declared by the United Nations General Assembly and championed by Mongolia. This presents a major opportunity to accelerate action on the sustainable management, restoration and conservation of rangelands, while spotlighting the needs of pastoralist communities who depend directly on these ecosystems for their livelihoods. As governments prepare to gather in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to shape the future of global action on land degradation and drought, ILC will be working with members and partners to ensure that people and their rights remain at the centre of the conversation. Together we are calling for action in five key areas.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FROM COP17:
1. Turn land rights decisions into action
UNCCD has already recognised the importance of secure land rights. Parties at COP17 must now move from decisions to delivery by embedding land rights into national plans, monitoring systems, tenure data frameworks and responsible investment strategies, with clear accountability for implementation and measurable progress.
Parties at COP17 should strengthen implementation of existing land tenure decisions and advance the use of land tenure data and indicators to measure progress.
2. Mobility is essential for healthy rangelands and food systems
Pastoralist mobility is not a problem to solve, It is a proven system for sustaining healthy rangelands, producing food, supporting livelihoods, restoring ecosystems and adapting to a changing climate. COP17 must recognise and protect the mobility rights of pastoralists as a non-negotiable foundation for resilient lands, livelihoods and food systems.
Parties at COP17 should recognise mobility as an adaptive and restorative practice and protect access to grazing lands and corridors.
3. Put people at the heart of restoration and invest in them
Investors, donors and governments should support the people already restoring the land by linking restoration efforts to secure land rights, expanding direct access to finance, and ensuring meaningful participation in decision-making. Pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, smallholder and family farmers, women and youth must be recognised as partners, not beneficiaries, in restoration.
Parties at COP17 should increase direct financing and decision-making power for local land stewards and their organisations.
4. Women's rights cannot wait
The UNCCD has recognised women as critical stewards of land and natural resources and highlighted the need to protect women's land and resource rights.
Parties at COP17 must ensure that these rights are truly recognised through clear, measurable actions, especially at the national level. To support this, a dedicated, core-funded gender capacity must be appointed within the UNCCD Secretariat.
5. Restoration must strengthen food systems and livelihoods
Successful restoration is not only about recovering ecosystems, but strengthening livelihoods, food security and local economies. COP17 should promote approaches that support pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, and smallholder and family farmers as key actors in sustainable food systems, ensuring that restoration delivers benefits for both people and the planet.
Parties at COP17 should advance agroecology and other integrated approaches that deliver for food security, livelihoods and healthy ecosystems.
WE HAVE A MISSION, WILL YOU HELP US?
ILC, LANDESA AND TMG RESEARCH ARE ASKING THIS...
Joint text proposals
ILC co-led events
time | event | zone
17 August
10:30H | Young people fostering multisectoral partnerships to combat desertification and promote synergies under the Rio Conventions | Blue
Location: MET-23
Organisers: YPARD, ILC, Government of Brazil, Government of Panamá, UNCCD Youth Caucus
19 August
8:30H | Land Tenure, Mobility and Financing: Advancing Rights-Based Investments for African Pastoralist Communities | Blue
Location: MET-05
Organisers: UNDP, IMPACT Kenya, Ereto Solidarity Fund, Kenya State Department of Livestock Development (SDLD), UN Development Program, AfDB, ILC, RRI, FAO, MISEREOR, BMZ-GIZ
15H | Commons to Climate Action: Pastoralist Policy Priorities for Rangeland Restoration in South & Central Asia | BLUE
Location: MET-04
Side event #: 133
Co-organisers: SAPA, MARAG
20 August
12H | Monitoring Ecosystem Restoration in Data-Scarce and Arid Landscapes: Tools, Approaches, and Country Experiences for Evidence-Based Restoration | Blue
Location: Egypt Pavillion
Co-organisers: FAO
15H | Rangelands are not wastelands: Legislative and policy instruments to protect rangelands and pastoralists from indiscriminate land conversion | BLUE
Location: MET-01
Co-organisers: Government of Peru, Save Sinjajevina, IUCN, ILC, Anthra, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists
16:30H | Land Data That Moves Policy: Mongolia Launches First Pastoralist Tenure Dataset | Blue
Location: Mongolia House
Co-organisers: ILC, NLC Mongolia, UNCCD
21 August
08:30h | Cultivating Resilience: Youth-Centred Policies as The Catalyst Against Drought and Desertification in Africa | BLUE
Location: MET-06
Side event #: 660
Co-organisers: ILC Africa, YILAA, YLMPA, UNCCD Youth Caucus, Tin-Hanan
Interpretation: FR/EN
10H | Pastoralist Data That Moves Policy: A Practitioner's Workshop on Land Tenure Indicators | Blue
Location: TNC Pavillion
Co-organisers: ILC, NLC Mongolia
Interpretation: MO/EN
12H | Regional Efforts Supporting Rangelands, Pastoral Communities, and Agrosilvopastoral Systems in the Near East and North Africa | Blue
Location: Saudi Arabia Pavilion
Co-organisers: FAO, DISI Women Cooperative, Pasto Arab Network
13H: | Inclusive and gender-transformative restoration in rangelands: lessons on land rights, inclusive governance and community resilience | Blue
Location: Saudi Arabia Pavilion
Co-organisers: UNDP, ILC
18H | From Rangelands to Mountain Landscapes: Community-led Restoration Across Asia | BLUE
Location: MET-04
Side event #: 388
Co-organisers: Rural Development Fund (RDF)
22 August
15h | From Commitment to Accountability: Strengthening Land Tenure Indicators Across the Rio Conventions | BLUE
Location: MET-06
Side event #: 231
Co-organisers: FAO, Landesa, TMG Research, UNCCD, UNEP-WCMC
15H | Protected Areas, Pastoralists’ Rights and Territories of Life: Towards Inclusive Conservation and Resilient Rangelands | Blue
Location: MET-03
Side event #: 364
Co-organisers: ICCA, Cenesta, Yolda Initiative, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists (GA4RP), ICCA Consortium, International Land Coalition (ILC), Shan Shui Conservation Center, JASIL / ICCA Mongolia Working Group, UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), and the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI).
24 August
13:30H | Who Will Restore the Land: Stand for Her Land as a Mechanism to achieve Gender-Just LDN | Blue
Location: MET-02
Side event #: 308
Co-organisers: Landesa, ILC, Huairou Commission
18h | Ideating a Community Stewardship Fund: Bridging the Gap in IPLC-Led Conservation | BLUE
Location: MET-06
Side event #: 627
Co-organisers: FES
25 August
15H | Mobility Matters: Linking local action to global commitments for risk reduction, resilience and rights in rangelands | BLUE
Location: Saudi Arabia Pavillion
Co-organisers: NLC India, MARAG, NLC Cameroon. MBOSCUDA, NLC Burkina Faso, Tin Hinan, NLC Montenegro, Save Sinjajevina. NLC Kyrgyzsta, RDF, Riyadh Action Agenda
15H | The peace dividend of investing in West Africa’s rangelands | Blue
Location: MET-07
Co-organisers: TMG, ILRI, ILC, RBM
15H | From National Coalitions to Global Reform: Land Tenure Across the Rio Conventions | Blue
Location: UNDP-UNESCO
Co-organisers: ILC
Pastoralists in Dialogue | Blue
Organiser: RRI
Co-organisers: ILC, ICCA, AfPAT, SWB, IDLO, ILEPA, FECOFUN
26 August
10:30 | Pastoralism as a Bold Agroecology Practice: Mobility as a Pathway to Climate Adaptation and Resilience | BLUE
Location: MET-05
Side event #: 620
Co-organisers: ILC Africa, RBM, WRI, Ambition Loop, AUDA-NEPAD
Interpretation: FR/EN
16.30 | Advancing UNCCD's Land Tenure Agenda: Recognising People's Rights for People and Planet | BLUE
Location: MET-22
Co-organisers: TMG, ILC, Landesa, FAO, ILRI, Ambition Loop, UNEP
18H | Enabling Fair and Effective Carbon Solutions for restoring Rangelands | Blue
Location: MET-01
Co-organisers: WHH, Agroecology Coalition, ILC, RBM, PMAF
27 August
13H | UNDP-ILC Partners' Roundtable on Securing Tenure for Pastoralist Women
Location: UNDP Pavilion
28 August
10:30H | Policy and Investment for Rangelands Restoration | Blue
Location: MET-04
Side event #: 265
Co-organisers: ILRI, GIZ, Government of Kenya, Government of Zambia, Government of Madagascar, Government of Botswana, WWF, FAO, UNCCD, ILC, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), IUCN, the African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
13H | Stewards of the Land: How IP and LC Community Stewardship Drives Land Restoration and Delivers the Rio Conventions | BLUE
Location: MET-06
Side event #: 234
Co-organisers: LandStack, FAO, TMG Think Tank, Global Land Alliance / PRIndex, LGT Venture Philanthropy, RNBA
OTHER EVENTS
time | event | zone
17 August
15H | Investing in Pastoral Futures: Responsible Investment for Resilient and Healthy Rangelands
Location: MET 24
Organisers: FAO, ILC
18 August
8:30H | (Counter) Mapping of Pastoral Mobility | BLUE
Location: MET-02
Organisers: CIRAD, ILRI, ILC
10:30H | UNCCD – FAO joint initiative: Advancing Land Tenure Integration for Land Restoration | Blue
Location: MET-04
Organisers: FAO-UNCCD
19 August
FULL DAY | Mobilizing Investment for Land, Water, and Nature in the Age of Climate Risk | Blue
Location: MET-21
Organisers: Office of Presidency, Government of Mongolia
20 August
16:30H | Co-management of Rangelands and Conservation of Territories of life by local communities: IYRP processes and challenges | GREEN
Location: Room 170
Organisers: ICCA Consortium (East Asia), Jasil
21 August
10:30H | European efforts and support in restoration | TBC
Organisers: IUCN Europe, Centre for Policy Research
22 August
ALL DAY | Landscapes of Life Mid/COP Conference
Location: Fieldtrip
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
15H | Protected Areas, Pastoralists’ Rights and Territories of Life: Towards Inclusive Conservation and Resilient Rangelands | BLUE
Location: MET-03
Organisers: ICCA, Cenesta, Yolda Initiative, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists (GA4RP), ICCA Consortium, ILC, Shan Shui Conservation Center, JASIL / ICCA Mongolia Working Group, UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, UNU-IAS, the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI)
24 August
10:30H | From Commitment to Capital: Financing Resilient Grasslands, Savannahs and Rangelands for People, Nature and Climate
Location: MET-05
Organisers: WWF - IUCN
10:30 | Strengthening Resilience and Investment in the Great Green Wall: From Evidence to Action | Blue
Location: MET-06
26 August
11:30H | Pastoralism for Resilience and Peace | Blue
Location: MET-23
COME PREPARED
UNCCD COP17 advocacy talking points
A practical guide and perfect starting point for newcomers as well as experienced advocates. It explains the key negotiation topics, why they matter and who to engage with.
Understanding land rights in the Rio Conventions
Explore how land rights underpin the objectives of the three Rio Conventions - UNCCD, UNFCCC and CBD and why the 2026 triple COP year presents a unique opportunity to advance coherent action across all three processes.
Pastoral indicators technical brief
Developed by ILC, SPARC, ODI and Prindex, the indicators will help you advocate for better data and improve how progress is measured.
Mobility Matters Toolkit
Everything you need to engage with the Mobility Matters campaign during the conference and the IYRP. The toolkit includes campaign messaging, comms assets and guidance to amplify the importance of pastoral mobility and rangelands.
OUR COP17 CONTENT HUB
PRESS
CALLING JOURNALISTS!
The International Land Coalition can set up interviews with members of our network at COP17
Please get in touch with Ashley at a.vonanrep@landcoalition.org for more info.
Global Policy Dialogue opens in Mongolia to advance pastoralist rights ahead of COP17
9 June 2026
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Mongolia and ILC break new ground with launch of pastoralist tenure indicator pilot
10 February 2026
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ILC at the COPs
