Remarks by H.E. Ms. Tarja Halonen, Former President of Finland
at the High-Level Opening of UNCCD COP17. Ulaanbaatar, 24 August 2026. 

Your Excellency, President of Mongolia,
Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed,
Executive Secretary Fouad,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to Mongolia for hosting this important Conference of the Parties.

And let me also express my appreciation to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and to its leadership for the important work carried out over the years.

I would particularly like to pay tribute to the former Executive Secretary, Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, for his commitment to raising land degradation and drought higher on the international agenda. Having myself being involved in Her Land project, I recognize how important it is to raise awareness for women’s and girls’ vital role in sustainable land management.

That said, I would also like to thank the incumbent Executive Director, Dr. Yasmine Fouad for the excellent cooperation. I wish you all the best in the future work of the UNCCD.

* * * * *

Dear friends,

When I look at the journey we have travelled in the United Nations over these past decades, I often find myself returning to the year 2000.

I remember the extraordinary sense of hope when world leaders came together at the beginning of a new millennium with a simple promise: to build a world where no one would be left behind. The Millennium Development Goals gave that promise a concrete form, addressing poverty, hunger, health, education and gender equality. Fifteen years later Agenda 2030 brought these strands together in a universal vision of sustainable development – with its economic, social and environmental dimensions understood as one.

I remember also how, during those years, we began to understand that sustainability was not simply an environmental issue. It was a question of justice. It was about who has access to land, water, food and livelihoods – and about whether future generations will inherit a planet capable of sustaining human life.

That is why I feel a particular connection standing here today.

When I look at the work of UNCCD, I see this whole journey coming together. Land is where so many of our commitments meet. It is where poverty, food security, biodiversity, climate, water and human dignity become one reality.

Twenty-five years ago, we spoke of a new millennium and made a promise to leave no one behind.

Today, I believe that promise must begin with the land beneath our feet.

* * * * *

We meet today under a powerful theme:

Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.

I would like to take this theme one step further.

When we think about the foundations of life on our planet, we can speak of a kind of holy trinity: air, water and soil.

We have become increasingly aware of the first two.

International climate action has made us understand the risks associated with global warming.

International cooperation on water has reminded us of the fundamental importance of freshwater — and of our oceans, which regulate our climate, sustain ecosystems and provide food for billions of people.

But there is a third element of this trinity which deserves much greater attention:

Soil.

The thin layer of living matter beneath our feet is one of humanity’s most fundamental resources.

It produces much of the food that we consume.

It stores carbon.

It filters and retains water.

It supports biodiversity.

It is the foundation of our societies and our economies.

And yet soil is remarkably easy to take for granted.

We notice the air when temperatures rise.

We notice water when there is too much — or too little.

But we rarely notice the soil until it is degraded, eroded or exhausted.

Perhaps this is one reason why land degradation has not yet received the same political visibility as climate change or global water agenda.

We need to change that.

Soil deserves a stronger place on the international political agenda.

The recent years have provided us with painful reminders of how interconnected these elements are.

Across the Northern Hemisphere, devastating wildfires in Europe and North America have shown us how climate change can amplify environmental risks.

Fire destroys forests and biodiversity.

But it also damages the soil, disrupts water cycles and undermines the capacity of ecosystems to recover.

The message is clear:

Climate, water and land are part of the same system. They cannot be treated as separate policy questions.

And this is why the work of the UNCCD is so important.

Land restoration is not simply about restoring landscapes.

It is about restoring the foundations of human well-being.

It is about food security.

It is about water security.

It is about biodiversity.

It is about climate resilience.

And it is about livelihoods.

This brings me to another dimension which I believe deserves our particular attention:

Women.

Women around the world play a crucial role as farmers, food producers and stewards of land.

In many communities, women carry a large share of the responsibility for producing food and securing the well-being of their families.

Yet they often have less access to land, finance, technology, agricultural services and decision-making.

This is not only an issue of equality.

It is also an issue of effectiveness.

If we want to restore land and build resilient food systems, we must ensure that women have equal opportunities to make decisions, own and manage land, access finance and shape agricultural policies.

Women should not be seen merely as beneficiaries of our policies.

They are essential agents of land restoration and food security. That is why it would be important to continue Her Land project.

* * * * *

Excellencies,

The challenge before us is enormous.

But so is the opportunity.

We already possess much knowledge and many of the technologies needed to restore degraded land.

What we need is political commitment, adequate financing and cooperation across borders and across sectors.

We need to connect land restoration with economic and development policies.

And above all, we need to recognize that the health of our soil is directly connected to the health of our societies.

* * * * *

Finally,

Let us give soil the political attention it deserves.

Let us invest in restoring degraded land before degradation becomes irreversible.

Let us strengthen the resilience of farmers, pastoralists and rural communities.

Let us ensure that women are fully empowered as farmers, food producers and decision-makers.

And let us recognize the inseparable connection between air, water and soil.

Let this Conference of the Parties be a moment when we give the third element of this trinity — soil — the attention it deserves.

Let us restore the land.

Let us strengthen resilience.

And, by doing so, let us restore hope.

Thank you.