The Abidjan Declaration is a powerful statement of commitment to promoting gender equality as a means of accelerating land restoration. At the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), representatives of States, institutions, and civil society gathered in Abidjan to form a group of political, business, and civil society leaders.

 

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The declaration recognizes that land is essential to the lives and livelihoods of people living in developing countries, particularly in rural areas. It provides food, shelter, income, and social identity and reduces vulnerability to food and water insecurity, hunger, and poverty. The declaration also acknowledges that securing women's access to land and control over land, and access to finance for land-based economic activities, are central components of women's economic empowerment and rights.

 

The lack of secure land tenure contributes to land degradation and exacerbates poverty, social instability, and conflict over land and natural resources. The Abidjan Declaration commits to strengthening efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women in the context of fighting against desertification, drought, and land degradation. It also calls for full, equal, meaningful, and effective participation of women at all levels in land and natural resource governance.

 

The declaration calls for strengthening and enforcing legal frameworks for women's access to land and control over land, including common lands, and equal land rights. It also appeals to development agencies and financial institutions to lift structural barriers and increase funding for women's rights organizations, women entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations that contribute to desertification and drought initiatives. The Abidjan Declaration also calls for the inclusion of gender equality criteria in the development and granting of finance for sustainable land management, land restoration, and drought preparedness and resilience.

 

In conclusion, the Abidjan Declaration is a landmark document that reaffirms the importance of gender equality and the central role of women in the fight against desertification, drought, and land degradation. It calls for action at the regional, national, subnational, and local levels to promote women's rights and empower them to participate fully in land and natural resource governance. The COP of the UNCCD is urged to incorporate these commitments into their policy decisions and continue to work towards a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

 

Based on Abidjan Declaration, UNCCD