Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

9 May 2022

 

H.E. President Alassane Ouattara

UN Deputy Secretary General, H.E. Ms Amina Mohammed

H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD

Excellencies, dignitaries, dear friends

 

It is an honor for me to participate at the “Head of States Summit” of the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. I thank President Ouattara for hosting this summit, and for his initiative of presenting the ‘Abidjan Legacy Progam’.

 

We convene this meeting under the highly relevant theme of: ‘Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity’.

 

This summit is an important platform to address serious issues affecting the well-being of people and their livelihoods, and of the environment.

 

Through it, we aim to move closer to achieving Target 15.3 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda: combatting desertification and restoring degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods.

 

Productive land is critical to global food security and healthy ecosystems, as well as to the maintenance of stable livelihoods. It is a precondition for the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; for progress on the Rio Conventions on biodiversity and climate change; and for tackling pollution on land and at sea.

 

Excellencies,

 

Today, land degradation undermines the well-being of some 3.2 billion people. Unsustainable land use, agriculture and soil management practices are some of the biggest drivers of desertification, land degradation and drought. We are responsible for the bulk of this, considering that human activities directly influence 70 per cent of the world’s land.

 

Reversing these trends is vital for effective action on behalf of climate and biodiversity. This is particularly important to the vulnerable communities residing in LDCs and LLDCs and SIDS.

 

We cannot afford the alternative, of letting our relationship with mother nature deteriorate to the point of no return. Even after two years, we have not fully escaped the shadow of COVID-19. We would do well to reflect upon the truth that a healthy relationship with nature is critical to prevent our exposure to new diseases and potential future pandemics.

 

Excellencies,

 

Restoring degraded land and implementing sustainable land management practices will help sustain better livelihoods, tackle poverty, and enhance food and water security. It will also empower women and girls who are forced to spend unproductive hours searching and fetching water. This is because restored lands retain more water and replenish aquifers.

 

Excellencies,

 

As global warming and the climate crisis presents us with devastating consequences, land restoration will be a crucial part of our efforts to fight back. Reforestation and land restoration are among the most powerful strategies at our disposal to drastically reduce carbon emissions. This will help bridge the gaps between the Nationally Determined Contributions and the goals of the Paris Agreement.

 

By restoring degraded land at the global level, we can lock away three billion tons of atmospheric carbon into the soil every year. This would offset around 10 percent of the world’s current annual energy-related emissions. By taking action to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation, we can facilitate the kind of climate mitigation measures needed to keep global warming under 2°C by 2030.

 

I am encouraged by the proclamation by the General Assembly of the Decade on ecosystem restoration, as well as by growing regional and global initiatives on restoring degraded lands.

 

We must build on this momentum. In that same spirit, we need to mobilize and implement effective drought policies to address water scarcity. To ensure drought preparedness, we must ensure early warning systems, and implement preparatory policies so that we are not caught unaware. Towards that end, we need to implement evidence-based research, share best practices, and draw upon the insights of traditional knowledge.

 

We must emulate successful initiatives, such as the African Great Green Wall, which aims to build the resilience of the region’s natural systems through sound ecosystem management.

 

It does this through sustainably developing land resources, protecting rural heritage, and improving living conditions for local populations. Exporting this inspiring initiative to other regions will benefit the global community.

 

Excellencies,

 

By the end of this important Summit, let us recommit to achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030.

 

Let us build upon the commitments and initiatives made during the Summit on Biodiversity, COP26, and the 2021 Food Systems Summit.

 

Let us finally resolve to take the necessary action to tackle climate change, conserve and protect biodiversity, and maintain vital ecosystem services.

 

That is how we will ensure our shared prosperity and well-being, in the context of a climate responsible world.

 

Thank you.