Ulaanbaatar, 3 September 2026 — More than 200 participants from over 30 countries gathered on 21 August for the UNCCD COP17 Mayors’ Forum in Ulaanbaatar, where around 30 mayors, governors and other local and regional leaders adopted the Ulaanbaatar Declaration on sustainable land management and drought resilience.
The Declaration calls for stronger engagement by local and regional governments in the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), including through sustainable urban development, water security and stronger urban-rural linkages. It was subsequently presented during the COP17 High-Level Segment, where the Governor of Ulaanbaatar symbolically delivered it to the COP17 Presidency.
COP17, held in Ulaanbaatar from 17 to 28 August, brought together governments and partners to address land degradation, desertification and drought. The Mayors’ Forum provided a platform to highlight the role of cities and local governments in these efforts, bringing together representatives of local and regional governments, international organizations, city networks, financial institutions, academia, research institutions and the private sector.
The Forum was hosted by the Governor’s Office of the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar and co-organized by UN-Habitat, the UNCCD secretariat, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Local2030 Coalition. United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), through the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, participated as a key partner.
Connecting urban development and land resilience
Discussions at the Forum highlighted the close links between urban development, land management and drought resilience. As cities continue to grow, decisions on housing, infrastructure, transport, water and land use have implications well beyond municipal boundaries, affecting surrounding ecosystems, agricultural areas and rural communities.
The Ulaanbaatar Declaration responds to these connections by calling for more sustainable urban development, improved water security and stronger urban-rural cooperation. It also proposes the creation of a network of cities in dryland and extreme climate areas to support knowledge exchange and collaboration.
The outcomes of the Forum will feed into follow-up initiatives, including the Ulaanbaatar Initiative led by the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar. The initiative will test an approach for cities to measure and report on land degradation, with findings expected to be shared with the Convention ahead of COP18.
UN-Habitat’s engagement at COP17
The Mayors’ Forum was part of wider UN-Habitat engagement at COP17, supporting the implementation of the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and highlighting the role of cities and human settlements in addressing land, water and climate challenges.
During Water Day, UN-Habitat highlighted the central role of cities, utilities and local governments in delivering water and sanitation services. Water-sensitive urban development and circular water solutions can help reduce pressure on water resources while supporting cities, agriculture and surrounding territories.
Through the Local2030 Coalition, a UN system-wide platform co-chaired by UN-Habitat, the organization also supports locally led implementation of global commitments. Water Operators’ Partnerships provide a practical mechanism for peer-to-peer exchange and strengthening the capacity of water and sanitation utilities.
During Land and People Day, UN-Habitat, Ambition Loop, ICLEI and UCLG convened a dialogue on urban-rural linkages. Experiences from Mongolia, Jordan, Türkiye and Brazil, together with the UN-Habitat–UNCCD joint report Urban-Rural Linkages and Land: Introducing the Flows-to-Action Framework, highlighted integrated territorial governance and flow-based approaches as practical ways to address land degradation, strengthen drought and flood resilience, protect peri-urban and rural land, and place communities at the centre of sustainable land management.
UN-Habitat also contributed to discussions on sand and dust storms, drawing on experience from southern Iraq. Sessions co-hosted by UN-Habitat examined how scientific monitoring, land restoration, financing, land governance and cross-border cooperation can reduce risks affecting both rural source areas and urban settlements. Partners included Iraq’s Ministry of Environment, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the International Water Management Institute, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, FAO, ICARDA and IUCN.
Looking ahead
The outcomes of the Mayors’ Forum and the wider COP17 process will inform UN-Habitat’s engagement across the global climate, biodiversity, water and sustainable development agendas, including the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17), UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), UN Water Conference and preparations for the 2027 SDG Summit.
Together, these efforts reflect growing recognition that cities and local governments are essential partners in delivering action on land, water, climate resilience and sustainable development.
Cover photo: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, hosted UNCCD COP17 and the COP17 Mayors’ Forum, where local and regional leaders adopted the Ulaanbaatar Declaration on sustainable land management and drought resilience. © Shutterstock