What: High-Level Dialogue on scaling up the African Union Great Green Wall initiative
Who: The African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
When: Monday, 24 August 2026; 12:00-14:00 (GMT+8)
Where: MET22 - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
As the international community gathers for UNCCD COP17 under the theme "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope," Africa is entering a new phase of delivering the Great Green Wall, guided by the African Union Great Green Wall Initiative Strategy and its Ten-Year Implementation Framework (2024-2034).
This high-level dialogue will bring together ministers, development finance institutions, regional organisations, development partners, the private sector and technical experts to examine how stronger partnerships and innovative financing can accelerate landscape restoration across the continent. The discussions will focus on scaling up investment, deepening regional cooperation and translating restoration commitments into bankable programmes that deliver tangible benefits for communities, ecosystems and economies.
The event will also spotlight the Great Green Wall as Africa's flagship platform for advancing Land Degradation Neutrality, drought resilience, sustainable food systems, biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation -- in support of the ambitions of Agenda 2063 and the three Rio Conventions.
The dialogue provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate how continental cooperation, innovative financing and strategic partnerships can transform the Great Green Wall into one of the world's largest and most impactful landscape restoration initiatives, delivering lasting environmental, social and economic benefits for Africa.
Speakers
- H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
- H.E. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- H.E. Moses Vilakati, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment
- Prof. Anthony Okon Nyong, Director, Climate Change and Green Growth, African Development Bank Group
- H.E. Ms. Doumbia Mariam Tangara, Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development of Mali and Chair of the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall's Ministerial Council
- H.E. Ms. Bernice Swarts, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa and Chair of the SADC Great Green Wall Initiative at Deputy Ministerial Level
- Mr. Aaron Adu, Managing Director, Global Shea Alliance
Moderator: H.E. Mr Ibrahim Thiaw, Former Executive Secretary of UNCCD
Media opportunities
Journalists will have opportunities to interview attending ministers and senior representatives of participating organisations on:
- Scaling up the Great Green Wall Initiative across Africa.
- Financing land restoration and drought resilience.
- Innovative partnerships for sustainable land management.
- Nature-based solutions, resilient food systems and green jobs.
- Regional cooperation to implement the African Union Great Green Wall Initiative Strategy and Ten-Year Implementation Framework (2024-2034).
Follow the conversation
#UNCCDCOP17 | #COP17Ulaanbaatar | #OurLandOurFuture I #GGWatCO17
