Who: African Development Bank
What: African Development Bank at the UNCCD COP15
Where: Hotel Sofitel, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
When: 9 to 20 May 2022
The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from 9 to 20 May 2022.
The COP15 theme, 'Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity, is a call to action to ensure land, the lifeline on this planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.
COP15 will bring together leaders from government, the private sector, civil society, and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future sustainable management of land, one of our most precious natural asset
COP15 is a key moment in the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought. Forty-five percent of Africa consists of dry lands, and three-quarters of productive land is degraded. Fighting land degradation and desertification and mitigating the effects of drought are needed for economic growth and social progress.
The summit will build on the Great Green Wall agenda and offer a concrete response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as we step into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
The African Development Bank supports the Africa Pavilion during COP15. The Pavilion will provide a space for Africa to facilitate networking amongst environmentalists, the myriad of organizations, and individuals who endeavor to reduce social and economic inequalities associated with desertification and land degradation; and to ensure that concerns unique to Africa's land-based resources and people are addressed, and African voices are heard.
The African Development Bank will host several events during the COP
The African Development Bank will host several events in hybrid format and will participate in several events, including the high-level opening ceremony. The Heads of States and Governments Summit will be opened by a ceremonial event on the 9th of May followed by a presidential dialogue organized by the Ivorian Government under the auspices of President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d'Ivoire, with a focus on drought and land restoration.
The launch of the Abidjan Legacy Program will also be a key moment of this COP15. The Program aims to boost long-term environmental sustainability across major value chains while protecting and restoring forests and lands and improving communities' resilience to climate change in Côte d'Ivoire. The Bank, through its agricultural projects in the pipeline, will contribute to the Legacy program.
This COP, which takes place just before the COP27 on climate, is part of a rising momentum for the agenda on People and Nature.
For more information on the official events, kindly visit the website: https://www.unccd.int/cop15.
Media contact: Gershwin Wanneburg, Communication and External Relations Department, email: media@afdb.org
