A Lao delegation attends the UNCCD meeting in Mongolia.

Laos pushes land management agenda at UN meeting in Mongolia

The government has used the global land and drought conference in Mongolia to call for stronger international support for sustainable land management, drought resilience and land restoration, while strengthening agricultural and environmental cooperation with neighbouring and partner countries.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Dr Xaynakone Inthavong led the Lao delegation attending the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17).
The conference is taking place from August 17-28, under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope”.
The meeting is attended by representatives of 197 UNCCD parties, international organisations, scientists, the private sector, youth, women, indigenous peoples, local communities, pastoralists and farmers, with more than 10,000 people taking part in total.
At the High-Level Segment on August 24, the Lao delegation highlighted the importance of healthy land as a foundation for food security, health, peace and sustainable development.
The delegation outlined the government’s priorities in this field, including sustainable land management and restoration, drought resilience, water and forest management, biodiversity conservation, climate-resilient agriculture and food security.
The Lao delegation also called for adequate, predictable and accessible financing, alongside technology transfer, knowledge exchange and capacity building, particularly to support least developed and landlocked developing countries in achieving their voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality targets.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Dr Xaynakone held talks with Mongolian officials to explore cooperation in agriculture, veterinary services and One Health, plant protection and quarantine, grassland and land management, and land restoration.
The Lao delegation also met with officials from Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to discuss expanding cooperation in land surveying and planning, soil and water conservation, restoration of degraded land, drought and climate change adaptation, technology transfer, and sustainable agricultural value chains.
On August 25, Dr Xaynakone attended a meeting of Environment Ministers from Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), helping advance shared priorities and strengthen the voice of LLDCs in the COP17 process.
For Laos, the COP17 engagement is expected to help expand access to international financing, technology and expertise, while supporting the development of investment-ready projects, drought early-warning systems, degraded-land restoration, sustainable water and forest management, and climate-resilient agriculture.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update August 28, 2026)