Nigeria: Analysis - COP17: Top Issues Dividing, Shaping Ongoing Negotiations in Mongolia

What the report says

Negotiations at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, have entered their final days with delegates still divided on several major issues, according to Premium Times in an AllAfrica-distributed report. The conference, which opened on 17 August and is scheduled to end on 28 August, is focused on desertification, land degradation and drought, with special attention this week to land and Indigenous Peoples issues. The report says disagreements are centered on a proposed global drought instrument, funding for land restoration, rangeland management, and the role of Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and local communities in the process.

A key fault line is whether any drought framework should be legally binding or remain voluntary. African countries and other vulnerable states are pressing for stronger international rules, while some developed countries have raised concerns about cost, implementation and overlap with other agreements. The article says talks could spill beyond the conference deadline if compromise is not reached.

Finance is another major sticking point. Delegates are weighing how to turn pledges into practical support for drought resilience and degraded-land restoration, including possible private-sector involvement and blended finance. UNCCD officials quoted in the report stressed that land degradation affects food security, livelihoods and stability, and said solutions must match the scale of the problem.

The story also highlights rangelands and pastoralist livelihoods as a priority, especially in a year designated for rangelands and pastoralists, and notes concerns from Indigenous Peoples, civil society groups and young people about participation in formal negotiations.