Civil Society Key Messages and Priorities for COP17 - Press Conference, UNCCD COP17

I I I Good afternoon.
Welcome to the Civil Society Or press conference.
My name is Mario de Sanchez.
I am from Peru.
I am from Peruvian NGOI there, and I am the representative of Latin America and the Caribbean in the CSO panel.
I would like to talk about the CSO panel as official mechanism established by the UNCCD for the coordination and facilitation of the engagement of civil society in the UN CCD processes.
The CSO panel was created by a COP decision.
And in recognition from the parties of the important role that civil society organizations, indigenous peoples, local communities, farmers, smallholders play for the implementation of this convention and also recognizing that civil society has the capacity to connect local realities with the global agenda and the deliberations of this convention.
The CSO panel is composed by five members, one for each region of implementation of the UNCCD and is elected democratically every two years.
The mandate of the panel is between cops.
Well, my colleagues and I are here working since the beginning of our mandate last year.
In the preparation of the civil society positions and key messages and recommendations for this CP for CP 17, we have been facilitating the gathering of inputs, perspectives from civil society, from the five regions.
We prepare different mechanisms to ensure that the different perspectives from the grounds are reflected in a set of key messages that we are going to present in this COP.
Say that, I would say on behalf of civil society organizations attending this scope that we are keen to participate, to engage, and to support the parties in the deliberations of this scope and also on the implementation of the objectives of this convention.
I will now give the floor to my colleague, Andy, for sharing also his perspective.
Thank you, May Adi and good afternoon, everybody.
My name is Andy Morris and I'm the Western European representative for the CSO panel.
Our main expectation is that CP 17 moves some commitments to implementation.
This is an action Cp and this requires, from our perspective and from the civil society's perspective, accessible and adequate finance that reaches communities and local actors that can implement solutions on the ground.
We also require and expect better knowledge sharing between governments, scientists, practitioners, indigenous peoples, local and pastoralist communities.
This requires active CSO participation throughout all of the COP process.
Greater recognition and integration of indigenous traditional and local knowledge alongside scientific knowledge.
We have a wealth of experience at our fingertips.
We have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips and we need to bridge the gap between indigenous people's knowledge and science.
And stronger support for evidence based advocacy and monitoring.
This includes financial mechanisms that will enable civil society and local actors to generate and contribute evidence and enact change on the ground.
I'm going to pass over to my colleague Amira.
Hello everyone.
Civil society organizations identified several interconnected priorities.
One, secure and equitable access to land and land tenure, particularly for women, indigenous people, and local communities supported by stronger multi stakeholder land governance and integrated land use planning.
Two, an ambitious future strategic framework of the convention that strengthened implementation beyond 2030.
Three, sustainable water management and drought resilient territories with locally appropriate and participatory solutions.
Four, meaningful recognition and participation of indigenous peoples, pastoralists, local communities, women, youth, and other constituencies.
Stronger action on land degradation neutrality and soil health, greater strategy among Rio convention, including integrated approaches to land, climate, biodiversity, and food security.
Thank you, Amia.
Welcome everyone.
Good afternoon.
My name is Topio Pavilshwlim.
I represent USCADCSO Panel for Central and Eastern Europe.
Let me share the civil society key messages that we have prepared for the CP 17.
These messages represent the product of almost one year inclusive and participatory process.
And civil society organizations draw 19 civil society key messages that can be gathered into four broad clusters.
First, inclusive governance and participation, and it's detrimental that civil society organizations are participated and engaged in all spaces and all stages of the USSD processes, including decision making processes.
Land water and drought resilience move from the reactive drought management to anticipatory locally led approaches that strengthen land restoration, soil health, sustainable water management, and drought resilience.
Finance and implementation.
It's important to increase accessible and secured finances for locally led and community led solutions and translate commitments into action on the ground.
Policy coherence and integrated approaches, strengthen synergies among all three Rio conventions and connect land, climate, and biodiversity, water, and food security agendas.
I will give the floor to Ellen now.
Good afternoon.
My name is Eleanor Taro Codon and I am a CSO representative of the continent that is called Africa.
Today, we are gathered here because of the good work that the civil society are doing within the UN CCD implementation structures.
However, we need to understand that the CSOs play an integral role in addressing the issues of desertification, land degradation, and drought within the communities long before those challenges reach the international negotiations.
Would like to note that from the first COP in 2024, the number of the accredited CSOs organizations within the UN CCD has grown significantly, in fact, almost doubled.
UN CCD has consistently recognized civil society as a vital partner.
We are not only observers, but we are also partners in knowledge management, knowledge holding, and knowledge sharing within all sectors.
We are also implementation partners and contributors to locally grounded solutions.
CSO remains committed to working constructively with parties to advance the convention.
We, the CSOs, therefore, are concerned that consensus has not yet been reached on the meaningful participation of civil society, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, local communities, and other non state actors on the inclusion of gender equality in the COP agenda.
We remain confident that multilateralism, dialogue and cooperation will prevail.
We call on parties to safeguard an inclusive Cop 17 and ensure meaningful civil society participation in negotiations, implementation, monitoring, and follow up.
These voices and issues must remain central to the convention work.
Thank you.
We now open the floor for questions and comments.
Has anyone any questions for the CSO panel? Yes, lady in the front there.
So I think there's a mic come in just 1 second.
Thank you so much and thank you, the CSO panel for the great work.
My question will relate to our presentation, but also following up a plenary conversation that happened this morning and just a matter of clarity, I know which will continue to be discussed.
What will be the position for posterity of civil society position within the convention given the statement given by USA today in the opening ceremony? Thank you.
Thank you for your question.
Obviously, we won't be or can't be drawn on individual party comments through the plenaries or individual country comments.
However, as my esteemed colleague sat to the left of me, Ellen stated, we are extremely concerned as a CSO panel, about the lack of potential lack of CSO participation throughout this UN CCC process.
As we said previously, CSOs are the knowledge holders, the knowledge exchange partners and they're the local actors that can actually enact lasting change.
We need to work in synergy with policymakers to ensure that we can combat decertification and answer these issues that face one of the biggest challenges of a generation, if not the biggest challenge.
In terms of the prosperity of the CSO community, we hope that these comments have taken the cement and we continue to engage with throughout this process.
Thank you.
The gentleman there at the back, yeah.
Thank you, panel for this wonderful session and congratulations to the work that you guys are already doing.
Harrison is my name.
I'm the director of ASES and the Dry net board member.
My worry is with respect to the participation of civil society and queuing up from the last question, I want to find out how the panel is strategically positioning itself to get the voices of civil society more heard and more alarmed.
With respect to with respect to the shrinking financial space that we're having now, the shrinking financial space is equally linked to the last question on how the panel is positioning to get the civil society voice more heard and more valued by the parties.
Second question is, how do we make sure that civil society equally have access to resources are not totally dependent on the convention because some of the civil society are brought here and they are tell on what to say and are being tell.
But how do we position ourselves as civil society where we don't get funding to come here to defend the interests of non civil society voices? Thank you.
In consultation with my colleagues, I will start and then they will top up the other information.
The first question about how the panel is strategizing.
Number one, probably strategies we already here today.
The voice of the media is a powerful voice, and we expect the media will do the beginning of the strategy and we'll continue from there.
So we are speaking about it.
We are creating awareness.
We are collaborating with other networks, with other partners within the other conventions, within the same thematic areas, and we would like to inform all the CSOs that this is about us.
If no CSO is participating in the COP, then there is no COP because COP is just not about parties.
The implementers are the civil society.
You cannot create policies For structures, for books and just for the purpose of creating.
Somebody has to implement these policies, and that is the civil society.
We are creating that awareness.
We would like them to understand, to negotiate, to request them and to urge them to revisit their position so that they understand that we are interrelated.
We don't work in silos and we are interdependent.
And my colleagues will add on that.
However, I would like to take over to the second question, which is extremely important.
It's very true that if one is financially supported, then one will be obliged to follow the rules of the financier.
It's important that the civil society, the non governmental organizations revisit how they create or generate the funds for their projects and for the activities within the organizations within their countries.
This is why There is already a negotiation and we have seen some trainings being conducted by the IUCN within different continental regions, whereby we're talking about strategic business development within the NGO.
This is something new.
Rather than looking for project funds, we are looking at the business development fund, whereby the projects will start thinking differently, the NGOs will start thinking differently about how to generate sustainable funding within their area of operation in such a way that those finances are reinvested within the NGO for the purpose of the NGO activities, while at the same time benefiting the communities that they work with and they work in and ensuring that the economic empowerment does happen not only within the non governmental organization or the CSOs, but also within the community, and that is the future of the empowerment within our own activities.
That way, the organizations will be able to facilitate their own travels, their own expenses without depending on a third party.
Yeah, my colleagues, I'll just expand on Ellen's previous point as well.
The CSO panel is here to facilitate the voice of the CSO community, and we do that through connecting with negotiators, party officials, focal points, different caucuses, et cetera.
However, it's not just the CSO panel's responsibility to raise the profile of the CSO community, that is within the CSO community itself.
As such, we're working on knowledge building and capacity building opportunities that will show and teach and train CSOs on how to effectively advocate so we can get the decisions that we require.
That is something that is continuing to be supported throughout the network, and that is something that will continue to be delivered by the CSO panel.
Yeah.
Yes, I also wanted to comment on I think there are different strategies that we need to take a look at concerning to this scenario you described on the low access or low availability of funding for civil society activities.
Well, I can share from the experience of the CSO panel, engaging with a project that is funded by Jeff is the CS four LDN project that is a very innovative approach from a donor to invest or to believe in the power of networking and building alliances among civil society organizations.
It's proving that investing in capacity building could deliver a very powerful impacts in terms not only in the engagement and the contributions from CSOs to the convention, but also in terms of creating mechanisms at national and at local level and mobilizing also resources.
Not only financial resources, but also technical resources, knowledge sharing knowledge and experiences among the network is very relevant and I think it's a good example.
We can take a look at how from this experience, building on new mechanisms that are focused on supporting networking collaboration between different organizations around the world.
Of course, we should continue looking to other strategies to It has been recommended also to explore engagement with private sector, for example, but for sure, we think that it is not going to be only one solution.
Again, we need to continue investing in making us strong as community.
Thank you.
We'll go to gentleman stripe share and then to gentleman now the blue afterwards.
Excellent and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for the opportunity given.
I'm Nokta Gn Arma from UBS India.
I have a concern.
Before expressing my statement, I wish to appreciate the CSO panel for your wonderful efforts.
Congratulations and kudos.
As a representative of NGO, I'm interested to know now in the earlier press conference, I heard from the Secretary of UN CC that entire Cp is not only meant for keeping points in the paper, but it also looks into the execution part.
In this, I'm interested to know the role of CSO panel in analyzing and reviewing the decisions that were taken at COP and Critics.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Hamer.
First of all, already you are aware that what CSO panel is doing.
It is a continuous process.
We, we are actually giving our collective voices, we are giving our comments in the different panels in the Creek, scope, and the other meetings.
We'll continue that process and day by day, now indigenous people are coming user raising voice, so it will be more inclusive, more united and day by day it will be stronger.
We need to continue our practice and we'll be very active on that way and definitely we'll be more active on entire process and we need to find out more innovative ways, how we can give our exchange views, we can give new innovation on our decision making, how we can contribute meaningfully.
Also, I want to add one line.
Suppose you just everyone, if we think that they are our COP, but they don't have any youth, they don't have any indigenous, they don't have any NG representative.
How it will look like that? Same.
Our participation meaningfully is actually contributing in our success and it is basically very important for the success of the entire COP process.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Re gentleman here in the front blue shirt, please.
Thank you.
Hello.
First of all, congratulations for the conference.
I'm Luis Castillo from Peru, Renal focal point of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Youth Caucus.
I'm also part of the INGO in Peru.
My question is, we often hear about meaningful youth participation at the global level, but many decisions on land restoration and rough are ultimately implemented nationally and locally.
Under your opinion, how can Cp 17 ensure that youth project participation moves beyond international forums and becomes institutional site in national UNCCD implementation and decision making? Thanks.
Maybe youth representative, I'll respond to this question.
Thank you very much, Louis, for this question.
I would start like that that when we talk about the youth participation, again, first, during the COP, it's detrimental, it's crucial that parties stay committed to engage with the civil society in general, civil society organizations because young people represent also the civil society.
Here, it's important to raise our voices to ensure that we are still part of the USCAD convention in general.
So Then we can also provide then participation of the youth groups.
That would be my answer.
I would like to add, intergenerational relationship is extremely important.
Youth participation at the COP begins before the COP, way before the COP.
It is important that the youth take part in all activities that the CSO panel and I speak for the panel because the CSO panel represents all the 3,000 plus the CSOs that we have globally and the youth participate throughout.
Important that they play equal role They are given the capacity, they're provided with the capacity, we say building capacity, but also engage, collaborate in all activities.
Prior to COP, we were working with the Caucus, the youth network, encouraged them not to fear the intergenerational issues.
I want everyone in this room to understand that the youth are the generation that is taking, we are talking about 50% of the global generation, that is the youth.
So if we don't take that into consideration, we are losing 50% of the global generation, maybe more by avoiding the inclusion.
So it's very important that they are included in all the processes.
The second thing that I would like to stress in the youth participation and collaboration is to ensure that the youth are connected with the national focal points.
That is extremely important.
And this is where, again, the panel and other CSOs within our countries and regions are encouraged and we have already started doing that to ensure that whatever we're doing, the youth networks are engaged within the process for the national focal points to also put them in their reports and call By the time that the COP takes place, already those activities have been taken into consideration and reports are being taken into final decisions.
Finally, I want to reiterate is that the presence of the CSOs, including the youth in the COP and the position of the statements have to incorporate that.
We are already doing that and I'm happy to know that you're part of the process so that the voices and the decisions on access to land and land tenure include not only the youth, the majority, but also the minority groups, women, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, and all other groups we're talking about, even those who are in the migration and on the move.
That's extremely important not to leave anyone behind within that perspective.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We got the lady in the back? Then the gentleman in the green as well.
Hi.
My name is Victorine speaking on behalf of IUCN.
I dare to state as a fact that civil society organizations are central in the implementation to ensure the implementation of land degradation neutrality targets.
But I also dare to assume that the central role has not yet been accepted or established to the fullest.
The one other thing which I really think it's interesting is looking also because Ellen, you just said it's leaving no one behind, and that includes gender as well in the work that we do.
I would like to ask how a civil society aligning to ensure that in the advocacy that is happening here, gender is fully and completely integrated into not only work plans, but resourcing as well.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I want to thank you, Victorine.
I want to reiterate that gender is a relationship between men and women.
However, it is not a standalone factor.
The moment we understand the gender cuts across all and I emphasize in capital letters all thematic areas, all activities.
We cannot talk about development, we cannot talk about anything that not only land degradation and neutrality, but every sector of the planet is talking about gender.
Therefore, the issues of gender is incorporated in all our thematic messages.
We're not talking about gender caucus alone.
No, gender caucus is just one element.
But everything that is within gender caucus is inclusive in all areas, including access to land, land tenure, we're talking about financing, we're talking about science interface, we're talking about all other thematic areas.
Gender is embedded.
That's what I would like to say.
Thank you.
So go to the gentleman in green, please.
I think he had a question.
Yes.
Yeah.
Good afternoon.
My name is Abdelaziz Sisi.
I'm from the Gambia representing the CAS Solution Angel.
Thank you, the CASA panel for this wonderful conference press.
My question is some countries have opposed the accreditation of certain angurs.
Don't you think this could hinder the future recognition of C source in the convention process? Thank you.
Thank you for your question.
Again, obviously, we won't be drawn on specific countries actions throughout the plenary, but just to reiterate again, the CSO community is vital to actually enacting change on the ground and by CSOs we're talking about the youth, gender caucus, indigenous peoples, local communities, and the wider CSO community.
We need active participation throughout this process to ensure that Cp 17 is actually an action Cp.
It's a CP where we can actually make lasting change and without CSO participation, that is not going to be achievable.
I'm sure Mongolia is a lovely country.
We can all go and enjoy the rangelands, but we're here to advocate.
We're here to make a change and we need to be included in this process.
Thank you.
Yes, the gentleman in front.
Thank you.
I'm Noel Atley.
I'm from an online publication called Dry Net News.
I think what we've witnessed today in the plenary, but what is also happening behind the scenes in the science policy interface space is direct interference in the multilateral efforts that have been carried out over the last decades by the countries of this world, working very hard to find consensus to advance effective responses to what we all are aware of, which is our rapidly degrading planetary ecosystems.
The world is on fire and what we have seen is a couple of parties acting as bullies to try and shred the very foundations of this convention.
Those of you who know the text will know that a lot of these fundamentals are written in civil society participation in this convention, participation of local communities written in.
The parties have advanced the participation of women, addressing gender issues, including youth.
So what we see is an attempt to stall progress at a time when we need progress more than ever.
So my question to the panel is, will you be able to take a role of leadership in the civil society space to address these gross violations of process? Thank you.
Thank you.
I think to answer the question, we have taken leadership in this press conference today to make our position really, really clear.
Yes, the world is on fire, and we will not solve the issues with one nation, one scientist, one individual, one CSO.
It can only be solved when a community comes together.
This CSO community is thriving.
It has doubled.
Since the last COP.
We need to include participation of the CSOs and we need to connect with the policymakers to ensure we can deliver on what was promised, that this is an action CP.
This is a CP where we're going to implement lasting change, which is much needed.
Yes, it's a challenge of a generation, but it's also the opportunity for future generations if we can continue to capacity build, if we can continue to knowledge exchange, and if we can continue to educate policymakers about the realities on the ground that are affecting communities today.
Okay.
You want to work.
I just want to add with Andy, basically, when I'm coming from my country, my youth, my community, my indigenous people are looking forward looking at what will bring from COP.
The expectation, their demand, their challenges are too high.
We need to fight back and CSO panel will be there.
We will fight, we'll work together for betterment, and we'll be united.
And finally, I would like to call for all the CSOs.
Yes, the CSO panel are the leaders, but we do not exist as leaders if you don't exist.
So we are the leaders because of who you are and because of you.
And without you, we are not anything.
And therefore, together, our voice will ensure that those one, two, three bullies will reconsider and we'll stop being a bully because we will show them that without us, they don't exist.
You cannot create policies if they are not people to implement policies.
We are the people, we are the voices.
We are the ones who drive these policies to exist.
So let us work as one voice, one team, and together, we will succeed.
That's my final state.
Thank you.
That concludes the press conference.
Thank you, everybody, for coming today.
It's been a pleasure.
Thank you.
Just an announcement, refreshments has been kindly provided by Dry Net network, so please free to help yourselves at the right side of the room.
Thank you.
Yeah.
It'll be time for one more question.
Yeah.
Okay.
All right.
My name is Yeng.
I'm from Vietnam.
I'm a vegan health coach, and I came here just to ask about your plan, how and when you conduct what you say.
What you say is very nice, marvelous, beautiful, but we need plan and special methods.
We will share with you after this press conference because it's over.
However, we work together.
How we work, each panel representative represents the region.
Each representative works within the region with the CSOs in the region.
Then we combine our efforts together on frequent basis.
Like in our case, we work every two, three weeks, sometimes monthly basis, we convene, we discuss, and we also engage with the Secretariat and that's why we are always dynamic.
Okay, thank you.
And it's just I need to be focused because I'm a coach and everything has to be focused, all right? Have you knew that have you known that the main reason of desertification is a livestock industry? Of course.
Then how do you work with the governments? Yeah, I have all the United Nations report here on my hands from crisis to peace and this planet is on fire like Batman just said.
How do we find your report on what you have done and what you will have done? Let me check the UN CCD website.
Everything is there.
Thank you.
It is.
The press conference is over, my dear.
We will have a conversation after this.
Everything is on the US.
Can I contact you directly because I feel like lost really a We are not Dators we talk about that, and we don't see really specific action.
I'm a vegan health coach.
I can help people to go vegan.
And every day people save tons of carbon dioctes for that.
Restore land because we are planting plants.
Okay.
Thank you for your question.
I appreciate your participation in this press conference.
If you require any further information about the CSO activities, please come and see us afterwards.
We have a whole Cos plan as well, and you can access everything via the link tree on UNCCD website.
Thank you for ins, everybody.
Announcement.
Maybe the service.
We are pleased to announce that we will have a second press conference on Friday here at the same time, focus on indigenous management of natural resources.
Thank you.