The fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties(COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD) was held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from 9 to 20 May 2022.

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The theme "Earth. Life. Legacy: from scarcity to prosperity", was a call to action to ensure that the earth, the lifeline on this planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.

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The AVACLIM project partner organisations organised a side event attended by around 100 people and broadcast live online. The event was introduced by Philippe Lacoste, Director of Sustainable Development at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Aldrin Martin Perez-Marin, from the Brazilian organisation Caatinga, then presented background information on agroecology and its relevance to sustainable development issues.

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Yousra Abourabi, for the Moroccan organisations Fondation Norsys and Agrisud International, shared concrete experiences of successful agroecological initiatives and their impact on advocacy with national policy makers.

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Then Noel Oettlé, from the South African organisation EMG, opened and facilitated a round table discussion with the audience and around four panellists:

• Graciela Metternicht, researcher and former member of the science-policy interface of the UNCCD, Australia
• Wendyam Émeline Ouedraogo, land degradation neutrality focal point, Burkina Faso
• Eugene Rurangwa, Land and Water Officer, FAO Regional Office for Africa
• Jean-Marc Sinnassamy, environmental expert at GEF

Patrice Burger, President of the French organisation CARI, concluded the session inviting participants to discover the exhibition presenting agroecological initiatives.

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Watch the recording of the side event :