(4th meeting) 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) under the theme Restoring Land. Restoring Hope held from August 17-28, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The ministerial dialogue will provide a platform for high-level political exchange and set the agenda for Finance Day. Specifically, it aims to: Reframe land restoration and drought resilience as strategic economic and financial priorities, shifting perceptions of land from a cost to an investment opportunity Build political momentum to integrate land and drought resilience into the portfolios of multilateral development banks, development finance institutions and institutional investors. This includes using public and concessional resources, guarantees and insurance more strategically to attract greater private investment Highlight national fiscal and policy approaches that can shift capital flows at scale, including repurposing harmful subsidies, applying environmental taxes and land degradation fees and expanding sustainability-linked bonds, loans and sovereign instruments tied to land outcomes Create space for concrete pledges, partnerships and initiatives, including through Business4Land, that connect consumption, production and finance through greener value chains, environmental, social and governance standards and nature-positive financial products
