UN FAO’s 4th session of the Committee on Forestry Working group on “Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral systems" being held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
From July 7th to 10th in 2025, the Office of the President of Mongolia, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the National Forest Agency of Mongolia, are organizing the Committee on Forestry Working group on “Dryland Forest and Agrosilvopastoral systems" and "3rd Dryland School", Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The main goal of the session is to reform the food and agricultural systems in dry regions, promote sustainable management, restoration, and adaptability to climate change, by developing an integrated approach that combines agro-silvo-pastoral or forestry, grazing, and livestock practices. Additionally, discussions are ongoing regarding the interconnections between agriculture and forestry, regional cooperation, and the importance of international and cross-sectoral partnerships.
At this event, representatives from more than 50 participants from 15 countries, including member countries of the UN FAO Committee on Forests, regional and international organization experts, researchers, and policymakers, will be present in person. The session will also be held online, and due to the circumstances occurring internationally, representatives from member countries that cannot attend in person and more than 30 representatives from other countries are participating.
We are living in a critical time that requires special attention to the conditions of dry regions and the livelihoods of millions of people living there. The natural conditions of Mongolia are characterized by vast steppe lands, pastures, and forest ecosystems. In the current situation where 76% of our country's territory is affected by desertification and land degradation, the working group focusing on resilient land use, sustainable land management, a unified forest-pasture system, and the creation of sustainable income and livelihood sources closely aligns with our country's priorities.
Mongolia is actively contributing to these global efforts, including: • The “Billion Trees” national movement to restore forests and reduce land degradation • The initiative to support sustainable pastoral policies within the framework of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) • The policy to highlight the role of women in agriculture, declaring 2025 as the “Year of Women in Agriculture” • The goal of bringing 30 percent of the world’s land under protection by 2030 commitment aligned with global conservation goals. This session is a milestone in the preparation of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to be hosted by Mongolia in 2026. Mongolia, which will host COP17 next year, sees this session as a foundation for a strong, inclusive and implementation-oriented COP that aims to restore drylands and increase local participation.
The session is an important step in our collective efforts to transform and restore food and agricultural systems in drylands in an integrated, landscape-scale manner. It provides an important opportunity to scale up agro-forestry, rangeland restoration, and ecosystem-based adaptation measures. To achieve comprehensive results, it is necessary to increase interdisciplinary coordination based on cooperation between government, academia, civil society, and local communities. On the occasion of this meeting, we aim to exchange experiences and lessons learned from successful dryland forest and landscape projects, expand effective multi faceted partnerships, and implement practical solutions.
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