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EU General Statement – UN General Assembly 2nd Committee: UN Convention to Combat Desertification

25.11.2025
New York

25 November 2025, New York - General Statement by the European Union and its Member States delivered by Amaya Einola, Policy Officer, EU Delegation to the UN, at the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly Second Committee on Agenda item Agenda item 18 (e): Sustainable development: implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa

 

Mr. Chair, 

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

We would like to thank the Group of 77 and China for presenting this resolution and the facilitators Ms. Odontuya Baigalmaa of Mongolia and Ms. Gudrun Thorbjornsdottir of Iceland for skillfully guiding us through the negotiation process. We also would like to express our appreciation to Member States for their constructive engagement and to the Secretariat for its support. 

Mr. Chair, 

Up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, negatively affecting over 3.2 billion people. The impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought are most strongly felt by people in vulnerable situations.

For the European Union and its Member States, reducing land degradation and achieving land degradation neutrality stays an important priority. It has the potential to act as an accelerator and integrator for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and respond to the overall objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Mr. Chair, 

We believe that important progress has been made during this year’s negotiation process and that the resolution text reflects recent developments and the outcomes of COP16. The EU and its Member States fully support this important resolution and look forward to continuing our constructive engagement next year during the COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

 

Mr Chair,

Finally, we regret that a vote has been called on this normally consensual resolution. We believe this undermines our collective effort and the constructive spirit of striving for consensus which has been a tradition in this committee and has also guided the negotiations on this resolution this year. 

The EU and its Member States fully support this important resolution.

I thank you.