Ulaanbaatar: Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, led a UAE delegation to participate in the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The UAE participation reaffirmed the nation's steadfast commitment to driving global land restoration, proactive drought resilience, and cross-convention environmental action.
According to Emirates News Agency, COP17, convening in Ulaanbaatar from 17th to 28th August 2026 under the theme 'Restoring Land, Restoring Hope', marks a critical milestone as the opening summit of the historic 2026 Rio Conventions Trio Year. The UAE aims to use this platform to emphasize the interlinkage between land restoration and water security, highlighting the upcoming '2026 UN Water Conference' in Abu Dhabi this December.
Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak stated that the UAE's engagement at COP17 reinforces a shared determination to confront land degradation and drought with tangible solutions. The UAE, living in a hyper-arid environment, focuses on protecting soil health, restoring ecosystems, and securing water resources as pillars of sustainable economic development. The National Strategy to Combat Desertification 2030 integrates land, water, biodiversity, and climate action into a cohesive national framework fostering innovation.
The UAE delegation at the conference included Mohammed Sultan Al Qurtasi Al Nuaimi, Ambassador to Mongolia, and Dr. Mohammed Salman Al Hammadi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Food Diversity Sector, among others. The delegation actively contributed to shaping global policy, demonstrating how national innovation, catalytic finance, and multilateral cooperation can transform environmental vulnerability into sustainable economic opportunity.
During the High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Finance Day, Dr. Al Dahak addressed international finance ministers, emphasizing that mitigating land degradation is an economic priority capable of generating significant returns. On Water Day, she participated in a Ministerial Dialogue on Drought Resilience, urging a transition from reactive emergency relief to long-term resilience.
In her keynote address at a high-level event co-organised with UNECE, UNESCO, and others, Dr. Al Dahak highlighted water as essential to uniting climate, biodiversity, and land agendas. She called for dismantling institutional silos by embedding water targets into national commitments. She also showcased UAE's leadership in providing solutions for water scarcity, highlighting initiatives like the 'Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative'.
Dr. Al Dahak extended an invitation to all Member States and international partners to attend the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. The outcomes from Ulaanbaatar will feed into the preparatory roadmap for the conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, and focused on interactive dialogues around water.
On the sidelines of the COP17, Dr. Al Dahak held bilateral meetings to enhance cooperation in environment and climate fields, meeting with Mongolian Foreign Affairs Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh and Uzbekistan's presidential advisor Aziz Abdukhakimov.
The UAE's participation in COP17 reflects an integrated national approach connecting land management, water security, and climate finance. As the 2026 UN Water Conference approaches, the UAE continues to translate commitments into tangible actions and partnerships, reaffirming that genuine environmental action is measured by real-world impact.