RIYADH: The Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) signed a memorandum of understanding in Riyadh on Monday to strengthen cooperation on land rehabilitation and vegetation cover development across the region.
The agreement was signed under the patronage of Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, who also chairs the MGI Ministerial Council and serves as president of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UNCCD.
MGI Secretary-General Ibrahim Alturki and UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad signed the memorandum at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture headquarters.
The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation to address environmental challenges by coordinating regional and international efforts to rehabilitate degraded land and expand vegetation cover.
It provides for cooperation in information sharing, capacity building and knowledge transfer in vegetation development and efforts to combat land degradation. The two sides will also work to raise awareness among MGI member states and strengthen international cooperation, including with the G20 Global Land Initiative launched by Saudi Arabia during its 2020 G20 presidency.
Under the memorandum, the MGI and the UNCCD will develop joint programmes and activities and seek to mobilize technical and financial resources to support projects aimed at vegetation development and combating desertification across the Middle East.
The agreement is intended to advance the objectives of the Middle East Green Initiative while contributing to broader international efforts to protect ecosystems, restore degraded land and promote the sustainable management of natural resources.
Saudi Arabia launched the MGI in 2021 to promote regional cooperation on climate action, land restoration and environmental sustainability. The initiative also supports the environmental objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 through partnerships aimed at reducing land degradation, expanding vegetation cover and safeguarding natural resources for future generations.
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