Panama to host major UN meeting on desertification, land degradation and drought
Representatives of 196 countries and the European Union will convene in Panama from 1-5 December 2025 to review their efforts against desertification, land degradation and drought as Parties to the only legally binding global treaty on the matter —one of the three Rio Conventions, alongside biodiversity and climate.
The 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will bring together around 500 delegates from governments, civil society, and academia to assess progress in advancing the Convention’s objectives.
A signatory to UNCCD since 1996, Panama has committed to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030, identified 31 critical hotspots, and is advancing reforestation and Dry Corridor adaptation programmes — underlining its role as regional host. In 2023, the country faced its driest year on record, when water shortages disrupted traffic through the Panama Canal and highlighted how local drought can trigger global consequences.
UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad said: “Severe droughts and the loss of fertile land are already straining food and energy production, uprooting rural communities, and threatening the livelihoods of millions. Nowhere is this more evident than in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region that is experiencing severe land degradation, affecting at least 20 per cent of its total area. By hosting CRIC23, Panama is placing itself at the center of collective response — from its national Nature Pledge to the regional Dry Corridor Initiative — and helping to build the momentum for the urgent need for drought resilience and land restoration worldwide.”
This CRIC will also place particular emphasis on gender. Women are among the hardest hit by land degradation, facing the daily consequences of degraded soils and drought, while remaining at the forefront of sustaining families and providing food.
Recent UNCCD data show the urgency of taking action: the world is losing nearly 100 million hectares of healthy land annually and over 70 per cent of land area has experienced increased aridity in the past 30 years, undermining the planet’s capacity to sustain a growing population. The world needs USD 1 billion daily between now and 2030 to meet global land restoration targets and combat desertification and drought -a fraction of what is destined to perverse incentives and investments.
CRIC23 will be held at the Panama Convention Center, Panama City. Parties will review progress and provide recommendations towards achieving global targets to prevent and reverse land degradation and to build drought resilience by 2030. Additionally, CRIC23 will discuss post-2030 strategic framework and convene key stakeholders, from women and youth to Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
The CRIC23 logo is inspired by the Dove flower (Peristeria elata), Panama’s national flower. At its center, the outline of a white dove in flight emerges-a universal symbol of peace and unity. Today, this delicate flower is increasingly threatened by desertification in its natural habitats, underscoring the urgent need to protect biodiversity and restore our soils. The CRIC23 emblem further highlights Panama’s Nature Pledge, which unites the country’s commitments on land, climate, and biodiversity in a single vision. The logo also honors Panama’s natural and cultural heritage and reflects the nation’s resolve to build a future that is resilient, sustainable, and in harmony with nature.
