Ulaanbaatar, August 6 (ANI): India’s Ambassador to Mongolia, Atul Malhari Gotsurve, visited the venue for the upcoming 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar on Thursday.
The visit was conducted alongside members of the resident diplomatic corps based in the Mongolian capital.
The Indian Embassy in Mongolia said in a post on X, “On 6 August 2026, Ambassador of India Atul Malhari Gotsurve, along with the resident diplomatic corps, visited the venue of the UNCCD COP17. Present at the event were T. Sandag Ochir, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, G. Amartuvshin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, senior officials, and others.”
The 17th session of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties will be held in Ulaanbaatar from August 17 to 28 under the theme, “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.”
According to information released by the UNCCD, the conference will bring together representatives from its 197 member states, including government officials, business leaders, civil society organizations, researchers, youth groups, Indigenous communities, pastoralists, and smallholder farmers.
Delegates will work to develop solutions to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, desertification, and drought.
The summit recognizes that restoring degraded land is essential to reducing regional instability, mitigating forced displacement, and strengthening both national and human security in vulnerable regions.
COP17 also coincides with the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), a global initiative proclaimed by the U.N. General Assembly and led by Mongolia.
The UNCCD said the event provides an important opportunity to accelerate efforts toward the sustainable management, restoration, and conservation of rangelands while highlighting the priorities of pastoral communities whose livelihoods depend on these ecosystems.
During the two-week conference, participants will attend high-level sessions, including ministerial dialogues, multistakeholder panels, and thematic discussions focused on science-policy integration, innovation, technological tools, and financing mechanisms.
Beyond the formal negotiations, COP17 aims to promote collaborative action on rangelands, climate resilience, water security, food systems, and soil health. (ANI)
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