COP17 Action Dome
Coming to COP17? The Action Dome is the place to be
UNCCD’s COP17 is right around the corner, starting on Monday, 17 August in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and the Action Dome programme is packed with events. From wellness sessions at dawn to gala celebrations in the evening, this is where some of the most interesting moments of COP17 will be unfolding.
Week One: Opening
The Action Dome opens its doors on Monday, 17 August with the official Pavilion Opening taking place at 15:00hrs local time in Ulaanbaatar. The day commences with a session introducing National Model United Nations delegates to COP, a live demonstration of drought detection technology (also held throughout the week!) by the International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), and a deep dive into geospatial Artificial Intelligence for sustainable land management with the Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology.
Wednesday offers a morning technical panel discussion on drought resilience and restoration among its selection of events, and Thursday is particularly packed, with an International Drought Resilience Alliance Event and a joint CGIAR/G20 Flagship Innovations for Resilient Landscapes session in the morning, an education session exploring lessons learned across the Rio Conventions in the afternoon, and the RestorLife and Photo Competition Awards Ceremony to close out the day. Saturday furthers the high note with a session on turning knowledge, technology, and community action into wildfire resilience, followed by a short film screening in the evening, celebrating Indigenous Peoples and food.
G20 GLI and IDRO is hosting many of these events,
Week Two: Action Days
The second week is dedicated to thematic Day events, with new initiatives, actions and product launches planned by the UNCCD Secretariat.
Among the numerous activities during Finance Day, held on 24 August, are a High-level event of public and private sector decision-makers on Finance, a High-Level Forum of Mining Industry Leaders and, rather fabulously, the Fashion 4 Land High-Level Segment and fashion show, making links between the textile industry and land restoration.
Water Day on 25 August delivers some significant launches, including the official debut of the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF) and the International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO). A Special High-Level Event on Sand and Dust Storms rounds out the day, highlighting the links between water, drought and severe weather.
From the High-Level Dialogue of Local Communities and the Indigenous Peoples High-Level Special Event to a youth-focused event on land and livelihoods, Land and People Day on 26 August aims to center the voices that too often go unheard in global policy spaces. The day closes with the Gala of Hope, a special event celebrating the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
The final action day of COP17 highlights food and the soils that make it possible to grow healthy, nutrient-rich crop. Food Systems and Soil Health Day, on 27 August, kicks off with a session on Living Soils, Productive Lands, with a focus on how to turn policy into implementation. Later in the day, the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security and High-Level Ministerial Dialogue form some of the events closing out the conference.
Ultimately, there is something interesting for everyone this year, whether your passion within the land restoration space leans toward technology, education, Indigenous rights, fashion, or finance. Make sure you look over the schedule here, and if you are following COP17 from home, connect with us on social media to stay up to date on the activities and discussions. Remember, the conversation does not end after the conference — keep up with us here at the G20 Global Land Initiative for post-COP recaps and more.
