Beyond Commitments: COP17 High-Level Gender Side Events Drive Action for Inclusive Land Restoration and Gender-Responsive Institutions

At the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), high-level gender side events brought together governments, development partners, financial institutions, civil society organizations and women-led groups to turn gender equality commitments into action for sustainable land restoration.

Co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and partners, the events highlighted the importance of gender-responsive public institutions in delivering inclusive environmental and development outcomes. This vision aligns closely with the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, which supports institutions in embedding gender equality across policies, systems and decision-making processes

Investing in gender-responsive land restoration

A key dialogue, Investing and Scaling Gender-Responsive Land Restoration, explored solutions to close financing gaps and expand investment in inclusive restoration efforts. Participants emphasized that land restoration is not only an environmental issue, but is also closely linked to livelihoods, land rights, climate resilience and gender equality.

Speakers highlighted the importance of supporting local herder and farmer women, strengthening women’s participation in decision-making, and combining traditional knowledge with scientific approaches. A major outcome of the event was the call for support for the Ulaanbaatar Gender and Land Investment Roadmap, designed to translate commitments into finance-ready actions, partnerships and long-term investments.

Moving from commitments to accountability

Additional high-level discussions focused on strengthening the Gender Action Plan under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Participants launched a co-creation process for monitoring implementation and outlined a shared vision for updating the Plan through a more participatory and accountable approach.

Together, these discussions reinforced the need to move beyond commitments by strengthening financing, accountability and measurable action.

Voices from the dialogue

Adilbish Adiyajav, Secretary of the National Committee on Gender Equality and Chief of its Secretariat, called for “increased investment toward supporting local herder and farmer women.” Her presentation also emphasized integrating traditional knowledge with scientific approaches and guaranteeing women’s meaningful participation at decision-making levels.

Speakers highlighted that “land restoration is not merely an environmental issue,” noting its intrinsic links to human development, livelihoods and gender equality.

The events also conveyed a shared call to ensure that “women’s leadership, knowledge, and solutions are at the heart of restoring landscapes and building resilient communities.”

Public institutions play a critical role in shaping policies and investments that support sustainable development. Gender-responsive institutions are better equipped to remove barriers to participation, strengthen accountability and deliver more inclusive results.

The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions provides a practical framework to help institutions translate commitments into lasting change through gender-responsive leadership, planning and implementation.

The momentum generated at COP17, including support for the Ulaanbaatar Gender and Land Investment Roadmap and continued work on the Gender Action Plan, demonstrates that inclusive land restoration requires strong partnerships, sustained investment and institutions that place gender equality at the center of sustainable development.