The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is taking part in the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which is hosted by the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, on 9-20 May 2022, under the patronage of the President of the Republic, Mr. Alassane Dramane Ouattara.

The Conference saw high-caliber participation including several heads of government, ministers, and heads of international organizations in addition to the delegations of several countries. Dr. Ismaila Diallo, Expert in the Sector of Science and Technology, represented ICESCO at the Convention.

During the Convention, held both face-to-face and via videoconference, under the theme, “Earth, life, legacy: From scarcity to prosperity,” participants highlighted the dire need to combat land deterioration through joint efforts, exchanging strategies, and mobilizing the proper financial resources for risks and challenges. They also called for consolidating complementarity between the three Rio Conventions (Combat against Desertification, Biodiversity, and Climate Change), and promoting women and youth participation through adopting a comprehensive approach based on equality.

The COP 15 discussed the Abidjan initiative which consists of four main axes, namely fighting desertification and encouraging reforestation, developing agricultural production, developing comprehensive and sustainable value chains, and identifying future value chains. The participants declared their support for the implementation of this initiative which can be replicated in other countries.