Restoring African Landscapes, Restoring Hope:

Restoring African Landscapes, Restoring Hope: Scaling the Great Green Wall through Continental Integration and the AU Great Green Wall Initiative Strategy (2024-2034)

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

WHAT: The African Union Commission (AUC), through the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), in partnership with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), and the SADC Secretariat, is convening a High-Level Side Event on mobilising investments for the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP17), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The event will elevate the political visibility of the GGWI, convene key partners and investors, and showcase innovative financing mechanisms to support AU Member States in scaling the continental Great Green Wall and implementing the AU GGWI Strategy (2024-2034).

WHERE: MET 22, National Garden Park, Khoroo 26, Bayanzurkh District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (UNCCD COP17 Venue).

WHEN: 24 August 2026, 12:00-14:00 (Mongolia Standard Time, MST / UTC+8).

WHO: Co-convened by the African Union Commission (AUC), in partnership with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat.

WHY: The Great Green Wall Initiative is Africa's flagship land restoration programme, targeting the restoration of 100 million hectares of degraded land across the Sahel and beyond by 2030. Despite significant milestones, the Initiative faces a critical financing gap. This High-Level Side Event convenes ministers, development banks, private sector investors, and international partners to mobilise the investments needed to scale the GGWI, operationalise the AU GGWI Strategy (2024-2034), and advance Africa's commitments under the UNCCD.

Expected Speakers:

1. H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General

2. H.E. Moses Vilakati, AU Commissioner ARBE

3. H.E. Dr Yasmine Fouad, UNCCD Executive Secretary

4. Prof. Anthony Okon Nyong, AfDB Director of Climate Change and Green Growth

The event will bring together ministers, heads of delegation, development bank representatives, private-sector investors, and international partners engaged in land restoration and sustainable land management across Africa, as well as staff from the African Union Commission and UNCCD COP17 participants.

Media representatives are warmly invited to attend on 24 August 2026 to cover this landmark high-level event showcasing Africa's continental leadership on land restoration and the mobilisation of investments for the Great Green Wall Initiative. Bilateral interviews are welcomed but will be based on the speakers' availability and at their discretion.

#GreatGreenWall #GGWI #UNCCDCOP17 #LandRestoration #RestoringLand #RestoringHope #AUC #COP17

For further information, please contact:

• Dr Jihane El Gaouzi Head of Division, Sustainable Environment | African Union Commission | [email protected] | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

For media enquiries:

• Molalet Tsedeke, Senior Communication Officer, Information and Communications Directorate, AU Commission | Tel: 0911-630631 | Email: [email protected]

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