OMNI United Nations WORLD REFUGEES DAY NEWSLETTER #12, June 20, 2023.

Hybrid roundtable - organized by UNCCD Regional Liaison Office (RLO) Africa , Morocco.

On 16 June with key partners such as the African Union, regional commissions (IGAD, ECOWAS, SADC, ECAC), UNECA, UNWOMEN, FAO, IFAD, ICESCO, the network of women's agricultural and commercial cooperatives in Africa as well as the diplomatic community accredited in Morocco. Information stands of women's cooperatives were featured at the event.

One of the key moments highlight of the national celebration of the Desertification and Drought Day was the Signing of an MoU with France and Canada to support women’s participation in agricultural and forestry projects.

Exchanging best women-led practices in sustainable land management - organized by UNCCD Regional liason office for Central and Eastern Europe.

A interregional event in Belgrade, Serbia  focused on exchanging best women-led practices in sustainable land management. 

The meeting was opened by the State Secretary Sandra Dokić, who pointed out that Serbia recognizes the importance of gender equality and that this conference is an excellent opportunity to make another step forward in improving the position of women who work the land and thus contribute to achieving the goals of neutrality of land degradation and the implementation of  United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification  in Serbia. More information: Event website

Desertification and Drought Day 2023 national observance - organized by National Forestry and Grassland Administration China

NFGA together with provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, was organizing diverse promotion events under the international theme "Her Land, Her Rights" and the national theme "Combat Desertification Scientifically, With You, With Me, With Her."

Campaign websites and videos emphasized the important role of desertification prevention and control in promoting rural revitalization, maintaining national ecological security and accelerating new energy development in desertified areas.
The national event with 300 participants took place in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province in China to unveil an Initiative to Jointly Prevent and Control Sandstorm Sources, and  the launch the Desertification Prevention and Control Fund under China Green Carbon Foundation.

The ceremony included a screening of the documentary '30 Years of Sand Control and Sand Industry in China, followed by keynote speeches, academic panels and field trips focusing on desert carbon sequestration, sand and dust control and desertification-combating technologies.

Desertification and Drought Day 2023 roundup - organized by National Environment Management Agency Kenya

The National Environment Management Agency is planning a range of activities in Kitui County on 17 June focused on raising awareness on the key role the importance of women's land rights and securing ownership of land in the fight against desertification.

The activities included a guided panel discussion, a village-wide dialogue, a media campaign through local radio stations, a survey on the participation of women in sustainable land management and resource conservation under different land tenure systems, a display of water-harvesting technologies, an inventory of drought-tolerant crop varieties, community donations of water-harvesting devices, drought resilient plants and farm animals.

Verso la giornata mondiale contro la desertificazione e la siccità - organized by The Department of Agricultural Sciences and the Desertification Research Centre NRD at the University of Sassari, Italy.

An international event for academic research and civil society representatives committed to the safeguarding of water resources and the fight against desertification and land degradation.

The first part of the event, took place in the Aula Magna "Barbieri" at the Department of Agricultural Sciences (Sassari) was aimed at students, researchers, agronomists and citizens with issues related to the projects “I CARE SOIL (Citizen Science experience on soil protection), E.WA.S. (Environment and Water Solutions), VARCOR (Vermitechnology application for valorization and reuse of cocoa residues) and TERRA (Employment of eco-sustainable technologies for the re-use of organic residues in the agricultural chain).

The second part, a virtual meeting, was in the formant of an international webinar: "Her Land. Her rights: a science-civil society dialogue on women's efforts for drought and desertification challenges”. PhD students, researchers and representatives of civil society took part in the event.

Desertification and Drought Day 2023 activities - organized by Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ecosocialismo, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, Caracas.

The main event "Her Land. Her Rights: Advancing gender equality to restore land and build resilience" took place on June 16 at the Waraira Repano Hall of the Universidad Popular del Ambiente Fruto Vivas with a virtual option.  Activities across the country include nature walks, reforestation days, inter-institutional talks in the communities, with the participation of the "Youth Brigade Against Climate Change" and the "Mission Tree"