GENEVA — In his capacity as Chair of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Geneva, Sudan's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Hassan Hamid, presided over a meeting of Arab Group ambassadors with Dr. Yasmine Fouad, former Minister of Environment of Egypt and United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

During the meeting, Dr. Yasmine Fouad provided a briefing to Arab ambassadors on preparations for the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), scheduled to take place in Mongolia from 17 to 28 August 2026.

She stressed the importance of high-level Arab participation in the conference, in light of the increasing challenges facing the region related to desertification, land degradation, drought, and water scarcity, and their direct impact on Arab food security, livelihoods, and stability.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Permanent Representative, on behalf of the Arab Group, expressed appreciation for the efforts of the UNCCD Executive Secretary and the Convention Secretariat for their engagement with Arab ambassadors and their commitment to consultation and coordination ahead of the upcoming conference.

He reaffirmed the Arab Group's aspiration for the conference to produce constructive and practical recommendations that address the major challenges facing many Arab countries as a result of climate change and drought.