The delegation of the Republic of Tajikistan is participating in the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), which is being held from 17 to 28 August 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
On 24 August 2026, the official opening ceremony of COP17 was held with the participation of the President of Mongolia, Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Yasmina Fouad.
The session was attended and addressed by Bahodur Sheralizoda, Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of the global initiatives of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, respected Emomali Rahmon, in the areas of glaciers, climate, and water resources protection.
He also emphasized the need to further strengthen international and regional cooperation in combating land degradation, desertification, and drought, highlighting the interconnection between these processes and climate change, water resources, and ecosystem resilience.
Particular attention was given to the protection of glaciers as vital sources of freshwater, the rational and sustainable use of water resources, the restoration of degraded land, and the conservation of mountain ecosystems.
It was emphasized that, for Tajikistan, as a mountainous country and one of the major sources of water resources in Central Asia, the protection of glaciers is of particular importance.
Tajikistan’s participation in COP17 is aimed at promoting national and regional initiatives, strengthening international cooperation and knowledge exchange on sustainable land management, enhancing resilience to drought and climate change, and restoring degraded ecosystems.
COP17 provides an important platform for further developing international dialogue and identifying practical solutions for land restoration, sustainable natural resource management, enhancing drought resilience, and strengthening the land-water-climate nexus.
