BRICS Leaders Call for Urgent Action on Land Degradation Ahead of UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh

BRICS leaders call for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification, and drought. (SPA)
BRICS leaders call for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification, and drought. (SPA)
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BRICS Leaders Call for Urgent Action on Land Degradation Ahead of UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh

BRICS leaders call for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification, and drought. (SPA)
BRICS leaders call for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification, and drought. (SPA)

BRICS leaders called for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification, and drought ahead of a major UN environment conference in Saudi Arabia in December.

In a joint statement, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates emphasized that these environmental challenges "are posing serious threats to the well-being and livelihoods of people and the environment."

While acknowledging ongoing efforts in sustainable land management, they stressed the need for "integrated policies" to tackle these interconnected issues.

The statement comes as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh from December 2 to 13, amid growing global concern over land degradation that already affects 40% of the planet and impacts 3.2 billion people, according to UNCCD data.

"Saudi Arabia welcomes the BRICS leaders' statement on the critical issue of land degradation as it reflects the increasing urgency to slow and ultimately reverse the trend of degrading land worldwide," said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister for environment at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and advisor to the COP16 Presidency.

He added: "At COP16 in Riyadh, we will work to forge new partnerships that can accelerate land restoration and drought resilience efforts, particularly in vulnerable regions. Land degradation, drought, and desertification impact almost every corner of the planet, exacerbating forced migration and worsening global food and water insecurity. It is imperative that the international community addresses the root causes of these issues at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh."

The conference is expected to be the largest UNCCD COP to date and will feature the first-ever Green Zone, creating a dedicated platform for collaboration and innovation, aiming to increase the role of the private sector in land restoration.

It comes as the UNCCD targets the restoration of 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. According to the UNCCD, every dollar invested in land restoration can yield up to $30 in economic returns.



G7 Leaders Meet in Canada Hoping to Avoid Trump Clash

 Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a bilateral meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured), before the start of the G7 summit, at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, June 15, 2025. (Reuters)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a bilateral meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured), before the start of the G7 summit, at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, June 15, 2025. (Reuters)
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G7 Leaders Meet in Canada Hoping to Avoid Trump Clash

 Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a bilateral meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured), before the start of the G7 summit, at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, June 15, 2025. (Reuters)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a bilateral meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured), before the start of the G7 summit, at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, June 15, 2025. (Reuters)

Group of Seven leaders gather in the Canadian Rockies starting on Sunday amid growing splits with the United States over foreign policy and trade, with host Canada striving to avoid clashes with President Donald Trump.

While Prime Minister Mark Carney says his priorities are strengthening peace and security, building critical mineral supply chains and creating jobs, issues such as US tariffs and the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are expected to feature heavily.

Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into Sunday, killing scores hours before the leaders of the world's industrialized democracies meet.

"This issue will be very high on the agenda of the G7 summit," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. He said his goals are for Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons, ensuring Israel's right to defend itself, avoiding escalation of conflict and creating room for diplomacy.

The summit takes place in the mountain resort of Kananaskis, some 90 km (56 miles) west of Calgary.

The last time Canada played host, in 2018, Trump left the summit before denouncing then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "very dishonest and weak" and instructing the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique.

"This will be a successful meeting if Donald Trump doesn't have an eruption that disrupts the entire gathering. Anything above and beyond that is gravy," said University of Ottawa international affairs professor Roland Paris, who was foreign policy adviser to Trudeau.

Trump has often mused about annexing Canada and arrives at a time when Carney is threatening reprisals if Washington does not lift tariffs on steel and aluminum.

"The best-case scenario... is that there's no real blow-ups coming out of the back end," said Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council think tank and a former White House and State Department official.

Carney's office declined to comment on how the Israeli strikes would affect the summit.

Diplomats said Canada has ditched the idea of a traditional comprehensive joint communique and would issue chair summaries instead, in hopes of containing a disaster and maintaining engagement with the US.

A senior Canadian official told reporters that Ottawa wanted to focus on actions the seven members - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States - could take together.

Canadian Senator Peter Boehm, a veteran former diplomat who acted as Trudeau's personal representative to the 2018 summit, said he had been told the summit would last longer than usual to give time for bilateral meetings with the US president.

Expected guests for parts of the Sunday to Tuesday event include leaders from Ukraine, Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil.

"Many will want to talk to President Trump about their own particular interests and concerns," Boehm said by phone.

A senior US official said on Friday working discussions would cover trade and the global economy, critical minerals, migrant and drug smuggling, wildfires, international security, artificial intelligence and energy security.

"The president is eager to pursue his goals in all of these areas including making America’s trade relationships fair and reciprocal," the official said.

The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the Oval Office in February descended into acrimony and has served as a warning for other world leaders about the delicate dance they face in negotiating with Trump.

But diplomats say the frustration of dealing with the Trump administration has made some keener to assert themselves.

'THE BIG TEST'

Canada has long been one of Ukraine's most vocal supporters. Trump came to power promising to end the war with Russia within 24 hours, but diplomatic efforts have stalled.

One Ukrainian official involved in preparations for the summit said hope had faded for a strong statement in support of Ukraine. Instead, success for Kyiv would merely constitute an amicable meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy.

A European official said the G7 summit and the NATO summit in The Hague later in June provided an opportunity to underscore to Trump the need to press ahead with a sanctions bill put together by US senators alongside a new European package to pressure Russia into a ceasefire and broader talks.

Trump’s first international summit of his second term will offer some early clues on whether he is interested in working with allies to solve common problems, said Max Bergmann, a director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“The big overarching question here is, basically, is the United States still committed to formats like the G7? That is going to be the big test,” Bergmann said.