PM Narendra Modi to address virtual high-level UN meet on desertification, land degradation, drought today

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a virtual high-level United Nations dialogue on desertification, land degradation and drought on Monday.

Prime Minister Modi, the president of the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), will address the virtual high-level dialogue today at 7.30 pm.

Volkan Bozkir, President of the UN General Assembly, will convene the meeting with the support of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to assess the progress made in fighting land degradation and map the way forward on global efforts to revive and restore healthy land.

The meeting will be attended by world leaders, ministers and government representatives, agricultural industry leaders, representatives from United Nations institutions, international organisations and civil society groups as well as members of the general public, according to the advisory issued by UNCCD. 

"Land is the foundation of our societies and is a cornerstone to global food security and environmental health, zero hunger, poverty eradication and affordable energy. It underpins the success of the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," the advisory read. 

Apart from Prime Minister Modi, the high-level event will also be addressed by Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina Mohamed, Undersecretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Ibrahim Thiaw and Coordinator of the Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim as well as Heads of State and Government, ministers and senior UN officials.

It will put land restoration at the centre of the entire SDG agenda and for climate, biodiversity and disaster risk reduction, along the path to the CBD COP15, UNFCCC COP26, UNCCD COP15, and the 2021 Food Systems Summit.

The Dialogue aims to focus the international community`s attention on land issues and generate political will for implementing land solutions within COVID-19 adaptation and recovery strategies.

It will encourage all Member States to adopt and implement Land Degradation Neutrality targets and National Drought Plans.

It will also encourage the Member States, the private sector and all stakeholders to partner for land action, and to support the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund and other funding mechanisms to scale up land restoration by all sectors of society, according to the advisory. It will enable participants to share experiences and best practices, cutting-edge technologies and innovative business models that advance green, resilient and inclusive recovery strategies.