Youth Assembly
Thematic
consultations
and sessions
Desertification, land degradation and drought
Building on the World Food Forum (WFF) Youth Statement on agrifood systems presented at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) in 2024, the Youth Assembly thematic area on desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) will focus on these three interlinked topics in 2025, all of which relate to sustainable land management in agrifood systems. Through global consultations with youth, in close collaboration with the United Nations Convention on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD) Youth Caucus, the Youth Assembly will gather perspectives on the role that agrifood systems must play in achieving land degradation neutrality.
Gathering best practices from youth at the front lines of DLDD, advocacy tools will be developed to be presented at the UNCCD 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) in 2026. Priorities will span restoration of degraded agricultural lands, integrated land use planning, adopting sustainable agricultural practices and the role of innovation and technology to address and counter DLDD.
2024 engagements
During 2024, the Youth Assembly hosted an online consultation in collaboration with the UNCCD Youth Caucus, a capacity-building session with the UNCCD Secretariat and a dynamic consultation during the 2024 WFF flagship event. This process was led by WFF Youth Policy Board members from the Near East and North Africa region, building momentum to COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
At UNCCD COP16, the WFF Youth Assembly engaged in several events, including hosting a session on innovations in sustainable agriculture at the Children and Youth Resilience Hub, a side event titled “Youth Leadership in restoration of degraded agricultural land to enhance food security”, and a gathering of Youth leaders in Near East and North Africa to address land degradation and climate challenges. The event was attended by leaders from the region including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Goodwill Ambassador for the Near East and North Africa, HRH Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan.
The key outcome of the WFF Youth Assembly at COP16 was a Youth Statement on Agrifood Systems, which was drafted on the basis of youth consultations prior to COP16 and on-the-ground inputs from various youth networks present.
Key youth priorities expressed in this statement were:
- including youth in decision-making and policy framework design;
- investing in youth-led science and innovation; and
- mobilizing resources for youth-driven solutions.
Tentative 2025–2026 engagements
In 2025, Youth Assembly engagements will map out youth stakeholders working at the intersection of agrifood systems and DLDD and invite them to join the Youth Assembly. In partnership with the UNCCD Youth Caucus, the consultative process will begin with a needs assessment and a global survey to assess priority areas to address during 2025. This will include building on the outcome of the Youth Statement on Agrifood Systems.
A consultation process will be developed that accounts for both regional and global youth priorities, ensuring the meaningful involvement of farmers, Indigenous Peoples and marginalized groups. Looking ahead to COP17 in 2026, the Youth Assembly seeks to develop recommendations that can be used as an effective advocacy tool for youth across various negotiation items.
Thematic Youth Action Plan Implementation Timeline
2025
July
- Capacity development session
- Need assessment survey
August - September
- Thematic consultation
October
- Thematic consultation
2026
First Quarter
- Capacity development sessions and thematic consultations
Second Quarter
- Zero Draft of Youth Statement on agrifood systems at UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), including expert review and refinement
Third Quarter
- Launch of Youth Statement and preparations for UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17
November
- UN Convention to Combat Desertification COP17
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