Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, August 21, 2026 Around 30 mayors, governors, and other local and regional leaders gathered this week at the UNCCD COP17 Mayors' Forum and adopted the Ulaanbaatar Declaration, committing to advance local actions on sustainable land management and drought resilience, and calling for a stronger and more permanent role for cities and regions in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) process.
The Forum, held from August 20-22, 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, was hosted by the Ulaanbaatar Capital Governor's Office and co-organized by the UNCCD Secretariat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Local2030 Coalition, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), through the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), as the lead partner. The event brought together more than 200 participants from over 30 countries, including local and regional leaders, international organizations, city networks, financial institutions, academic and research institutions, and private sector representatives.
The Ulaanbaatar Initiative was also presented at the Forum. Led by the Ulaanbaatar Capital, this voluntary effort will test a practical way for cities to measure and report land degradation, with the results being shared with the Convention by COP18.
What does the Ulaanbaatar Declaration establish?
The Ulaanbaatar Declaration builds on the commitments made by local and regional governments at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ulaanbaatar continues this process, moving from political recognition to ongoing engagement and implementation between COPs.
The Declaration, entitled “Local Leadership for Earth’s Resilience: Advancing Implementation among the Rio Conventions,” sets out five calls to action directed to local and regional governments, UNCCD Parties, the UNCCD Secretariat, and its partners:
- To advance integrated local actions on sustainable land management, drought resilience, biodiversity, climate resilience, water security, and sustainable urban development, while strengthening urban-rural linkages. These interconnected challenges require integrated, locally led solutions.
- To strengthen the role of local and regional governments in the UNCCD process itself, including through more structured and regular engagement between sessions of the Conference of the Parties, based on the Riyadh Process.
- To strengthen the coherence between the three Rio Conventions and the water agenda, encouraging more coordinated implementation at the local level and thereby promoting the 2030 Agenda.
- Supporting implementation through partnerships and funding, including calls for more direct, simplified, and predictable access to funding for local and regional governments.
- To promote knowledge, innovation and cooperation, including peer learning and the exchange of practical experiences, such as nature-based solutions.
By shifting from advocacy to implementation alliances, the Declaration directly transforms global commitments into concrete actions on the ground to advance SDG 6 worldwide — marking a significant milestone in the Local2030 Coalition’s “Road to Abu Dhabi: The Local Way” — a journey dedicated to engaging stakeholders to shape global agendas ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference and the 2027 SDG Summit.
The signatories commit to promoting local actions on sustainable land management, land restoration and drought resilience, deepening cooperation between cities and regions and promoting inclusive approaches that involve communities, youth, women and Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration also reaffirms the Riyadh Process as the ongoing platform for structured dialogue between the UNCCD, its Parties and organized local and regional governments.
Statements
B. Purevdagva, Governor of the Capital and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar“Land resilience is not an abstract global agenda. It’s about whether our cities can provide safe water, clean air, green spaces, secure livelihoods, and a healthy future for our children and communities. Through the Ulaanbaatar Declaration and the Ulaanbaatar Initiative, we are promoting a people-centered, gender-sensitive, and child-focused approach to sustainable urban development, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Ulaanbaatar is proud to help connect local and regional governments in arid and extreme climate regions so that cities can share knowledge, measure land degradation more practically, and transform global commitments into action in our communities. This initiative is our contribution to a stronger regional and global network of cities working together for land, water, climate resilience, and future generations.”
Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD“National commitments set the direction, but implementation ultimately takes place in cities, regions, and communities. Local and regional governments make many decisions that shape how land and water are managed, how communities prepare for droughts, extreme heat, and other climate-related risks, and how resilient infrastructure and services are provided. The Ulaanbaatar Declaration is an important step toward moving from recognizing their role to ongoing engagement and practical action. Their experience, knowledge, and proximity to communities are essential if we are to transform global commitments into measurable results on the ground.”
Ursula Sautter, Deputy Mayor of Bonn, Germany“This process began in Bonn in 1999, and it means a great deal to see that it has reached this point almost thirty years later, with mayors from all regions adopting a common declaration. Bonn will continue to support this work, as a founding partner in this dialogue and as the headquarters of the UNCCD Secretariat.”
Ji Rimutu, Vice Mayor of Ordos, China: “By participating in this Mayors‘ Forum, I deeply feel that local governments are primarily responsible for implementing desertification control. Ordos’ experience of ”containing the desert with green growth’ demonstrates that a firm commitment to governance and continuous innovative measures can revitalize deserts. We hope to deepen cooperation with all cities, share sand control technologies, jointly assume ecological responsibilities, and work side-by-side to improve the green well-being of all humanity.”
Ingrid Cavalcanti Feitosa, Secretary of State for the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Action of Sergipe, Brazil“The impacts of desertification are felt most directly at the local level, which is why subnational governments play a strategic role in developing effective solutions. For Sergipe, supporting the Ulaanbaatar Declaration is an opportunity not only to boost actions related to land and drought, but also to share our experience in strengthening protected areas, restoring degraded lands, and advancing climate adaptation policies, particularly in the Caatinga – a uniquely Brazilian biome that faces significant challenges related to desertification, many of which are interconnected with those experienced by other territories. The exchange of knowledge and international cooperation are essential to strengthen our capacity to respond to a challenge that transcends borders.”
Oumar Ba, Mayor of Ndiob, President of the Association of Mayors of Senegal and President of UCLG Africa“Local and regional governments are essential partners in transforming global commitments on land restoration and drought resilience into action in our territories. Through UCLG and the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, we are bringing our experience and collective priorities to the UNCCD process. Building on the progress made in Riyadh, the Ulaanbaatar Mayors” Forum should further strengthen the recognition and meaningful participation of local and regional governments in global land governance.”
Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat“Urbanization, land, and water are deeply interconnected challenges that demand locally led solutions. The New Urban Agenda recognizes the social and ecological functions of land, while the right to adequate housing is at the heart of sustainable development and linked to access to water, public space, and basic services. Following the revisions to SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda, the Ulaanbaatar Declaration reinforces our commitment to moving from global ambition to implementation. As co-chair of the Local Coalition 2030, UN-Habitat is committed to unlocking more direct and predictable financing for local governments. From Ulaanbaatar to Abu Dhabi, we must transform global commitments into tangible improvements, ensuring that no one and no place is left behind.”
Building on nearly three decades of city engagement
The Mayor's Forum builds on a process of municipal cooperation on desertification that dates back to the World Mayors' Forum on Cities and Desertification, held in Bonn, Germany, in 1999, and which has since continued through forums in Rome, Italy; Ordos, China; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 2024 Riyadh Mayors' Forum reaffirmed the essential role of local and regional governments in addressing land degradation, desertification, and drought, a role that this year's Forum sought to further deepen.
This year represents a historic juncture for global policies, with the convergence of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), the global review of SDG 11, the mid-term review of the New Urban Agenda, and the COPs of the three Rio Conventions—with the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi as a crucial culminating stage. Forum participants highlighted this rare opportunity to strengthen coherence among global agendas on land, biodiversity, climate, and water, and to ensure that local and regional governments are recognized as central actors in their implementation.
They also emphasized that localization is the ultimate driver of systemic change, transforming global policies into local impact and drawing on lessons from a series of major UN meetings held over the past two years: the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain; the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar; and the Conferences of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Belém, Brazil.
Over three days, the Forum combined high-level political dialogue with technical exchange and peer learning. Sessions addressed urban ecosystem restoration and dust and sandstorms, water scarcity and drought resilience, sustainable urban growth and land use, and financing mechanisms to transform commitments into implementation.
Following the Forum, the UNCCD Secretariat and its partners will work together to monitor voluntary progress toward the commitments of the Declaration, with conclusions to be presented at the next Mayors' Forum and at UNCCD COP18.
About Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is the capital and economic, political, and cultural center of Mongolia, home to nearly half the country's population and serving as a major hub for government, business, education, innovation, and international cooperation. Located in a high-altitude valley connected to broader ecosystems of grasslands, forests, and rivers, the city faces many challenges common to cities in arid regions and extreme climates, including air pollution, water security, land degradation, rapid urban growth, and climate-related hazards.
Guided by its long-term development vision, Ulaanbaatar is working to become a more people-centered, gender-sensitive, child-friendly, green, and resilient city, using the Ulaanbaatar Declaration and the Ulaanbaatar Initiative to strengthen global and regional cooperation and contribute practical solutions for sustainable land management, urban resilience, and the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals.
About the UNCCD
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land. We bring together governments, scientists, policymakers, the private sector, and communities around a shared vision and global action to restore and manage the world's lands for the sustainability of humanity and the planet.
Far more than an international treaty signed by 197 Parties, the UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to mitigate the current impacts of land degradation and promote responsible land management in the future, in order to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunities to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner.
About ICLEI
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (known as ICLEI) is a global network working with over 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Present in more than 125 countries, we influence sustainability policies and drive local action towards low-carbon, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. Our members and expert team work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability.
About UCLG
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is the world's largest organization of local and regional governments and their associations, representing and defending their interests on the global stage. Headquartered in Barcelona and with a presence in all regions of the world, UCLG brings together cities, metropolitan and regional governments, and national and subnational associations to promote the democratic autonomy of local government, strengthen cooperation between territories, and amplify the collective voice of local and regional governments in international decision-making.
Through advocacy, political dialogue, knowledge sharing, and decentralized cooperation, UCLG works to ensure that local and regional governments are recognized as essential partners in addressing global challenges and promoting sustainable development that leaves no one and no place behind.
About the Local2030 Coalition
The Local2030 Coalition is the United Nations System platform for accelerating the localization of the 2030 Agenda, increasing the coherence, efficiency, and impact of UN action. Fourteen UN entities drive the Coalition, co-chaired by UN-Habitat and UNECE, ensuring that the UN system is prepared to articulate global objectives and national policies with local contexts, needs, and priorities, while ensuring a unified and strong UN approach to localization.
About UN-Habitat
UN-Habitat is the United Nations entity responsible for sustainable urbanization. It has programs in more than 90 countries, supporting policymakers and communities in creating socially and environmentally sustainable cities and municipalities.
UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities through knowledge, policy guidance, technical assistance, and collaborative action. To learn more, visit unhabitat.org or follow UN-Habitat on social media, @UNHABITAT.
Press contact
Matteo Bizzotto, Senior Director, Global Communications, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.
Photo: @unccd/@kiara worth
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