10 August 2015: In the lead up to the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which is to be held from 12-23 October 2015, in Ankara, Turkey, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has launched the ‘Road to Ankara’ initiative, the UNCCD Secretariat has issued a call to journalists, and the host country of Turkey has launched the COP 12 website.

The WBCSD’s ‘The Road to Ankara’ aims to strengthen the presence of the business sector at COP 12. The initiative’s website highlights the private sector’s goal of providing a business response to the UNCCD’s target on land degradation neutrality (LDN) and provides information on planned private sector side events at COP 12. They include: the Sustainable Land Management Business Forum on 20-21 October; a high-level dialogue on the role of the private sector in addressing land degradation on 21 October; and a Soil Leadership Academy simulation exercise taking place from 19-21 October. The WBCSD invites other private sector actors to join efforts to contribute to the LDN target “by engaging actively in multi-stakeholder discussions on land restoration efforts and breaking down pressing global challenges into actionable items and clear policy asks.”

The UNCCD Secretariat has issued a call to interested journalists to apply for media accreditation in order to be eligible for sponsorship to cover the event. Sponsored journalists will attend a two-day media training prior to COP 12 and will receive support to publish news reports during the meeting.

The COP 12 website highlights the outcome of regular weekly monitoring meetings that are taking place to fine tune the COP 12 agenda. The coordination meetings bring together, among other stakeholders: the Turkish Ministry of Forest and Water Affairs and Directorate General for Combating Desertification and Erosion; Turkey’s Special Ambassador to the COP; the Head of the European Union and External Affairs Department; Turkey’s UNCCD National Focal Point; and Anadolu Agency.

UNCCD COP 12 will take place at the Congresium Ankara-ATO International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Primary objectives of the meeting include discussing practical steps to make LDN a reality and identifying ways to contribute to the success of the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris. The UNCCD also aims to garner support for its proposed flagship publication, the Global Land Outlook. [COP 12 Website] [WBCSD Road to Ankara Website] [UNCCD Call for COP 12 Media Training] [UNCCD COP 12 Overview]