The conclusion of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, marked not the end of a conversation, but the beginning of another important phase in advancing global efforts to combat desertification, restore degraded land, and strengthen community resilience.

Beyond the negotiations and international commitments, COP17 reinforced a fundamental message: sustainable land restoration cannot be achieved without the meaningful participation of the communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on the land.

This message was echoed during the COP17 Outcomes Meeting held on October 7, 2026, as part of the UNCCD civil society process. The meeting brought together representatives of the UNCCD Secretariat and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from different regions to reflect on the conference's achievements, the challenges encountered, and the priorities ahead of COP18.

For the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), which participated in COP17 through its Vice President, Souad Agnaou, these reflections resonate strongly with its community-centered approach to sustainable development in Morocco. HAF's experience demonstrates that environmental restoration is not simply a technical intervention. It is a participatory process that requires local knowledge, community ownership, inclusive decision-making, and long-term commitment.

Civil Society at COP17: Participation Beyond the Negotiating Table

One of the defining features of COP17 was the strong presence of civil society and other non-state actors. According to figures shared by the UNCCD Secretariat during the outcomes meeting, their participation exceeded that of Party representatives, while the number of accredited civil society organizations increased significantly, from approximately 1,100 at the beginning of COP17 to nearly 2,000 afterward.

This growing engagement reflects increasing recognition of the role civil society plays in addressing land degradation, drought, and the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development.

However, greater participation did not necessarily translate into greater influence within formal negotiations.

Several issues of particular importance to civil society, including participation and gender, were not addressed as dedicated agenda items during COP17. This presented a challenge for organizations advocating for more inclusive environmental governance and stronger recognition of the contributions of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, farmers, pastoralists, and local communities.

Rather than allowing these limitations to silence their priorities, civil society representatives strengthened their coordination across regions and constituencies. Through collective engagement, they continued to advocate for inclusive decision-making and the recognition of communities as essential partners in implementing the Convention.

A central message of the civil society declaration was clear: the people who depend on the land must be actively involved in decisions about its future.

Creating Space for Dialogue, Inclusion, and Accountability

COP17 demonstrated that meaningful participation extends beyond formal negotiating sessions. It also takes place through dialogue, advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and collective action.

Throughout the conference, civil society organizations mobilized through various platforms to ensure that community perspectives remained visible.

Four press conferences highlighted civil society priorities and the contributions of Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, women, youth, and local communities to sustainable land management. Daily updates helped communicate developments throughout the conference, while collective actions called for greater accountability, environmental justice, and inclusive governance.

Two open dialogue sessions provided particularly valuable opportunities for engagement. The first addressed land tenure, a fundamental issue affecting communities' access to and control over natural resources. The second focused on water and finance, two interconnected challenges that directly influence the ability of communities to adapt to drought and invest in sustainable land restoration.

These discussions helped bring critical issues into the broader COP process, even where progress through the formal negotiating agenda remained limited.

They also reinforced an important shift in perspective: civil society should not be viewed solely as an observer or advocate in international environmental processes, but as an essential partner in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating sustainable development initiatives.

Connecting Global Commitments with Local Realities

For the High Atlas Foundation, the discussions at COP17 reflect the realities encountered through its work with rural communities across Morocco.

Land degradation, water scarcity, and increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions are not abstract environmental challenges. They directly affect agricultural productivity, household incomes, food security, and the opportunities available to future generations.

Through its community-led approach, HAF works alongside farming families, women's cooperatives, local associations, and young people to identify priorities and develop solutions adapted to their environmental, social, and economic circumstances.

These efforts include agroforestry and fruit tree planting, the development of community nurseries, improved access to water, capacity-building, and initiatives that strengthen women's participation in local development.

HAF's experience underscores that successful restoration goes beyond the number of trees planted or hectares rehabilitated. It also depends on whether communities have the knowledge, resources, and decision-making power necessary to sustain these efforts over time.

Equally important is recognizing the knowledge that communities already possess. Farmers understand their landscapes, local water availability, agricultural practices, and the environmental pressures affecting their livelihoods. Women and young people bring additional perspectives that can help shape more inclusive and resilient solutions.

Bringing these perspectives into national and international discussions is essential to ensuring that environmental policies and investments respond to actual needs on the ground.

Global commitments can establish shared ambitions, but their success ultimately depends on local ownership, accessible resources, and sustained implementation.

Looking Ahead: From COP17 Outcomes to COP18 Action

The period between COP17 and COP18 represents an important opportunity to turn dialogue into concrete action.

During the October 7 outcomes meeting, the UNCCD Secretariat encouraged civil society organizations to examine the decisions adopted at COP17 and identify opportunities to contribute to their implementation at national and local levels.

This next phase will also involve monitoring progress toward Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), strengthening national reporting, and examining how different stakeholders participate in implementing the Convention.

The Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) is expected to provide an additional opportunity in 2027 to assess progress and identify implementation challenges.

With COP18 scheduled to take place in Egypt in 2028, civil society organizations have an important role to play in maintaining momentum, sharing practical experiences, and ensuring that inclusion remains a priority throughout the implementation process.

For HAF, this means continuing to connect local action with global priorities, advocating for approaches that place communities at the center of sustainable land management, and contributing practical lessons from its work in Morocco.

It also means reinforcing the importance of accessible climate and restoration finance, women's leadership, youth engagement, secure access to land and natural resources, and long-term partnerships that strengthen community resilience.

Beyond the Conference: Keeping Communities at the Center

COP17 demonstrated both the growing strength of civil society participation and the challenges that remain in ensuring its meaningful influence on international environmental decisions.

The outcomes meeting served as a reminder that the value of a global conference should not be measured only by the decisions adopted, but also by what happens afterward.

For organizations such as the High Atlas Foundation, the real work continues in rural communities, where environmental commitments must translate into improved livelihoods, restored landscapes, stronger local institutions, and greater resilience to climate and environmental challenges.

As preparations for COP18 move forward, the priority must be to strengthen the connection between international policy and community-level implementation, ensuring that local knowledge and perspectives do not simply inform discussions but actively shape decisions, investments, and actions.

The path from COP17 to COP18 is therefore not only about advancing negotiations. It is about ensuring that global commitments take root in communities, where sustainable change begins and where its impact matters most.