• All three UN environmental conventions to take place in Q4 2024

​New York, NY — The incoming Presidents of the three Rio Conventions met on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly to outline their ambitions for the UN environmental conventions taking place during the remainder of 2024.

The Rio Trio Initiative draws its name from the historic outcome of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, when governments came together to build a framework to respond to the existential challenges of climate change, desertification and biodiversity loss. The landmark Rio Trio event focused on enhancing collaboration across the three major international environmental conventions.

Bringing together the Republic of Azerbaijan, which will preside over the 29th Conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the Republic of Colombia, the incoming president of the 16th Conference of the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD), and; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the incoming president of the 16th Conference of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Rio Trio Initiative will seek to increase the synergies in addressing land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss, and build momentum for international action during the UN environmental conventions.

During the Rio Trio event, Saudi Arabia’s incoming UNCCD COP16 presidency highlighted the critical nature of land to the health of people and the planet. Noting the devastating economic, social and environmental impact of land degradation and drought, which are threatening biodiversity, driving up greenhouse gas emissions and worsening food and water security.

“Climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation are interconnected aspects of the same planetary crisis, which are most effectively addressed in an integrated way,” said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Advisor to the incoming UNCCD COP16 President.

“This year presents a unique opportunity to unite with our colleagues in Azerbaijan and Colombia to rally the international community to address these interrelated global environmental challenges, which are having a devastating  impact on the planet and all of its inhabitants, including its people.”

Incoming president of the CBD COP16 Susana Muhamad, Colombia Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, said: “We need a joint agenda implemented on the ground and we are ready to establish a working group to promote articulation and coherence. The just transition we talk about in climate change must materialize synergies to avoid degradation and damage of natural ecosystems. On the other hand, we have a great opportunity to plan the land with a more integrated approach: decarbonizing, restoring and generating better condition for human lives. COP16 is the space for deepening the understanding of these synergies.”

COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev, stated: “By enhancing collaboration across the three Rio Conventions, we aim to unlock synergies, enhance efficiency, and drive concrete outcomes that benefit people and the planet. This is about recognising that the goals of the respective conventions are intrinsically linked and that progress in one area can catalyse advances in others.”

Saudi Arabia is calling on governments gathering at the UN General Assembly to take decisive action at the upcoming UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh. The UNCCD has set a target to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded lands by 2030, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s COP16 Presidency will push for more concrete pledges to meet that goal.

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About COP16 Riyadh:

UNCCD COP16 will take place December 2-13, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will be the largest and most inclusive UNCCD COP to date, creating space for international cooperation at an international level and for the private sector, civil society and the scientific community to share solutions to land degradation, desertification and drought. For more information please visit: unccdcop16.org

Journalists are invited to apply for accreditation via the UNCCD’s Online Registration System.

For media enquiries, please contact: media@unccdcop16.org or press@unccd.int