Stalemate in the Desert: UN Summit on Desertification Ends Without Binding Resolution

At the sixteenth UN Summit on Desertification, held in Riyadh under the slogan "Our Land. Our Future," the delegates once again failed to formulate a legally binding response to drought. The summit, considered the largest of its kind with nearly 200 participating countries, extended beyond its scheduled duration by a day, as poorer nations vehemently pushed for binding agreements. Despite the intense negotiations, UN Secretary-General Ibrahim Thiaw conceded that more time would be needed to develop a viable solution. A success of the meeting was at least the commitment of over 12 billion dollars for land restoration and drought prevention as part of a global partnership launched in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia presented itself as an ambiguous player: on one hand, the kingdom is committed to reducing CO₂ emissions through initiatives like the "Saudi Green Initiative." On the other hand, it hindered discussions on a complete phase-out of fossil fuels, leading to international accusations that Saudi Arabia is impeding the fight against climate change. Western countries criticize that Saudi Arabia has diluted climate language both at G20 discussions and last year at the UN Climate Conference COP29 in Baku. Swedish climate ambassador Mattias Frumerie and Austria’s Minister for Climate Protection Leonore Gewessler stressed how Saudi Arabia's influence brought even simple negotiations to a standstill. The talks in Riyadh took place in a newly built conference center and drew the interest of numerous nations, which insiders attribute to the relatively uncontroversial nature of the topics of land degradation and desertification. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia consistently refused to incorporate climate policy content into final draft texts, ultimately resulting in a return to this pressing topic at the upcoming COP17 summit in Mongolia in 2026. The UN warned beforehand that drought, triggered by human destruction of the environment, costs more than 300 billion dollars annually and could affect nearly 75 percent of the world’s population by 2050. However, a truly sustainable climate consensus remained buried in the desert.