The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification concluded with a united global pledge to boost drought resilience and land restoration.

The two-week meeting was held in Abidjan from 9 to 20 May 2022. It attracted Heads of State, ministers and 7,000 delegates from 196 countries, as nations sent a united call about the importance of healthy and productive land.

The African Development Bank is committed to addressing desertification and land degradation by scaling up its investments in sustainable ecosystem restoration. The Bank supported the host country, Côte d'Ivoire, and the African Group of Negotiators. In addition, the Bank hosted the Africa Pavilion during COP15.

The Pavilion received over 1,000 visitors, hosted 23 side events and provided a space for sharing best practices and networking amongst stakeholders who strive to reduce socioeconomic inequalities associated with land degradation in Africa.

The Bank also engaged with a wide spectrum of regional partners such as the Pan African Agency of the Great Green Wall, and the Permanent Interstate Committee for drought control in the Sahel. Important issues covered in these discussions included food security, land restoration, fragility, drought, climate financing, migration, the role of science, and the involvement of non-state actors, including the youth and women.

The Bank supports the Abidjan Legacy Programme, which raised $2.5 billion at the Heads of State Summit on 9 May.

COP15 hosted discussions and regional initiatives in support of the Great Green Wall project to restore a vast stretch of degraded lands into a flourishing green belt. The African Development Bank is contributing $6.5 billion to this project.

At COP15 the African Development Bank reaffirmed its commitment to combating desertification and land degradation and mitigating the effects of drought. The Bank believes that transforming Africa in the face of climate change is linked to restoring lands into healthy and productive ecosystems.

Following two weeks of high-level discussions and negotiations, COP15 generated momentum for decisive and high-impact measures. The conference adopted 38 decisions to fast-track the implementation of initiatives that combat desertification, land degradation and drought. The initiatives will generate investment in large-scale land restoration efforts.

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Agenda

Africa Pavilion agenda

The African Development Bank's COP15 agenda

Recordings

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Innovative Financial Mechanisms for Sustainable Landscape

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