UN Desertification Conference Hosts China Pavilion in Riyadh
The China Pavilion was inaugurated at the UN desertification conference taking place in Riyadh.
TroibNews 
The China Pavilion was officially inaugurated on Monday at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, showcasing China’s extensive efforts and accomplishments in the fight against desertification.
Spanning over 600 square meters, the China Pavilion ranks as the second-largest national pavilion at the event. Its exhibition, titled "Cross-Century Green Great Wall, China's Restoration in Action," highlights the nation’s initiatives to combat desertification, with a particular focus on the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, a key project aimed at reversing land degradation.
During the opening ceremony, UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza Murillo lauded China's considerable contributions to global desertification control. "I was moved by the images of different generations of the Chinese people fighting desertification and by China's leadership in this process," she stated. She further noted that effective policies, community engagement, local government involvement, and technological innovation are crucial to China's success.
Guan Zhi'ou, the head of the Chinese delegation and administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, remarked, "For 30 years since joining the convention, China has diligently fulfilled its responsibilities, actively participating in global desertification control alongside countries in the Belt and Road Initiative."
"China will continue to share technologies and experiences, contributing wisdom and strength toward achieving the 2030 global land degradation neutrality target and advancing the G20 global land initiative," he continued.
Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chang Hua, in his speech, emphasized the increasing collaboration between China and Saudi Arabia in addressing desertification, particularly in relation to the Kingdom's Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives and the advancement of renewable energy in the region.
COP16, scheduled from December 2 to 13 under the theme "Our Land. Our Future," represents the largest UN conference focused on land to date and is the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa. Delegates are anticipated to reach decisions on collective actions aimed at enhancing land restoration, improving drought and sandstorm resilience, restoring soil health, and scaling up nature-positive food production, with an eye toward 2030 and beyond.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
Spanning over 600 square meters, the China Pavilion ranks as the second-largest national pavilion at the event. Its exhibition, titled "Cross-Century Green Great Wall, China's Restoration in Action," highlights the nation’s initiatives to combat desertification, with a particular focus on the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, a key project aimed at reversing land degradation.
During the opening ceremony, UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza Murillo lauded China's considerable contributions to global desertification control. "I was moved by the images of different generations of the Chinese people fighting desertification and by China's leadership in this process," she stated. She further noted that effective policies, community engagement, local government involvement, and technological innovation are crucial to China's success.
Guan Zhi'ou, the head of the Chinese delegation and administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, remarked, "For 30 years since joining the convention, China has diligently fulfilled its responsibilities, actively participating in global desertification control alongside countries in the Belt and Road Initiative."
"China will continue to share technologies and experiences, contributing wisdom and strength toward achieving the 2030 global land degradation neutrality target and advancing the G20 global land initiative," he continued.
Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chang Hua, in his speech, emphasized the increasing collaboration between China and Saudi Arabia in addressing desertification, particularly in relation to the Kingdom's Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives and the advancement of renewable energy in the region.
COP16, scheduled from December 2 to 13 under the theme "Our Land. Our Future," represents the largest UN conference focused on land to date and is the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa. Delegates are anticipated to reach decisions on collective actions aimed at enhancing land restoration, improving drought and sandstorm resilience, restoring soil health, and scaling up nature-positive food production, with an eye toward 2030 and beyond.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
