The EU Council's Working Party on International Environment Issues (Desertification) is scheduled to meet on 15 July 2026 in Brussels to advance coordination on desertification policy, with a focus on preparations for the UNCCD COP17 conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026. The meeting, announced in a notice of meeting and provisional agenda dated 10 July 2026, will take place at the Justus Lipsius Building and will cover the IE Presidency's work programme, the political declaration, burden sharing, and outreach activities.
The agenda includes an information point on the outcome of the CONUN discussion of 9 July 2026 regarding Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and developments in multilateral fora. The main item is the UNCCD COP17, where the Presidency will provide information on organisational matters and the political declaration. The EU and Member States will discuss their contribution to the political declaration and the Non-Binding Instrument procedure (second step), with information from the Presidency and the Commission. An update on burden sharing and timelines will be provided by the Presidency, followed by a discussion on draft EU and Member States position papers. The meeting will also cover pre-COP17 outreach, with updates from the Presidency, the Commission, and other Member State-led engagement. Additionally, the Presidency will update the group on the informal risk and scenario planning working group.
Delegations are required to register their presence via the Delegates Portal. The meeting is closed to the public, and no exclusions from the agenda are stated. This coordination effort aims to ensure a unified EU position at the UNCCD COP17, where parties will address land degradation, desertification, and drought resilience.