Ulaanbaatar, February 5, 2026 /MONTSAME/. Speaker of the State Great Khural (Parliament), Uchral Nyam-Osor, received the Executive Secretary of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Dr. Yasmine Fouad, who has arrived to review the preparations for the Conference.

At the beginning of the meeting, Speaker Uchral noted that Mongolia has consistently supported the goals and outcomes of UNCCD, as a country with long traditions of animal husbandry and a nomadic lifestyle, experiencing the tangible negative effects of global climate change, desertification, and land degradation, and briefed about the preparations for COP17. Expressing commitment to providing necessary support from the legislative body in organizing the international conference in Mongolia and to ensuring coherence between relevant organizations, the Speaker extended his gratitude for the UN’s policy guidelines, professional support, and cooperation.

Speaker of Parliament Uchral Nyam-Osor was appointed President of COP17 in July 2025, during his tenure as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Development of Mongolia. The UNCCD Executive Secretary was informed that since Uchral has now assumed his duties as Speaker of Parliament, a new COP17 President is soon to be appointed.

Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Yasmine Fouad, commended Mongolia’s initiative and efforts in combating desertification and expressed gratitude to the State Great Khural, the Government, and the people of Mongolia for working hard in ensuring high-level preparation for COP17. Executive Secretary Yasmine expressed her confidence that thanks to Mongolia’s leadership and neutral foreign policy, COP17 will provide a platform based on mutual positive trust, which will bring the views of UNCCD stakeholders closer and facilitate the process of reaching a consensus.

Dr. Fouad stated her commitment to making COP17 accessible and fruitful for not only the citizens of Mongolia but also the rest of the world, and to paying special attention to expanding multilateral cooperation and amplifying the voices of women and youth. Thus, within the framework of reviewing the COP17 preparation progress, she has been organizing meetings and discussions with representatives of public, private, and international organizations, development partners, researchers and scholars, civil society, and youth to exchange views on opportunities to ensure multilateral engagement and expand cooperation in the efforts against desertification, drought, and land degradation.