Zhang Jianlong, chairman of the COP 13, addresses the opening ceremony.

The 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD held the opening ceremony in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Sept 6.

Zhang Jianlong, director of the State Forestry Administration of China, was elected chairman of the conference and delivered a speech.

Zhang first expressed his gratitude to all Parties involved and expressed his commitment to boosting cooperation during his two-year term. He also commended Prof. Veysel Eroglu, the president of COP12, for his excellent work over the past two years.

In the speech, Zhang extended his warm welcome to the guests on behalf of the Chinese government.

He then reviewed the UNCCD’s 23-year history and affirmed its contribution to global desertification control.

He went on to note the stern situations facing the future: by 2050, global demand for food, water and energy is expected to have grown substantially, and arable land will have decreased by 8-20 percent; by 2040, global grain output is predicted to have fallen by 12 percent.

Global warming has aggravated desertification and as a result 1.5 billion people from over 100 countries and regions will suffer from famine, poverty, and conflicts.

Therefore, he called for joint efforts and effective measures by the international community to make breakthroughs in global desertification control.

Zhang spoke highly of the significance of COP13. Two thousand representatives from 196 Parties and more than 20 international organizations are gathered in Ordos to share their experience and wisdom, which will no doubt inspire the Parties to implement relevant action projects in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, and exert a positive influence on global sustainable land management.

Based on review of past developments, this session will discuss a new strategic framework for the Convention and contribute to realizing Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030 through construction of a global ecological governance system.

Zhang pointed out that China has the largest desertification area and, as a developing country, the largest population affected by desertification. Since the founding of new China in 1949, a series of policies have been made in different historical periods and today China has created a win-win strategy of ecological safeguards and economic development to combat desertification.

In 2012, the Chinese government incorporated ecological civilization construction into its overall layout of Socialism with Chinese characteristics and laid plans to revitalize 50 percent of arid land by 2020, he added.

Zhang said that voluntary target reports will be released during the session to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality.

Zhang noted that the current meeting is an appeal for collective efforts to overcome the challenge of desertification.

At the end of his speech, Zhang hoped that all Parties and international organizations concerned will strengthen their exchanges, jointly promote the formulation of a strategic framework for the future and envisage a new blueprint for global desertification control.