By Hanieh Moghani, Cenesta (Iran)
The story of pastoralism at UNCCD COP17, rooted in the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), was championed by Mongolia to correct a persistent policy blind spot: rangelands cover 54 per cent of the world’s terrestrial surface and sustain around 500 million pastoralists, yet these ecosystems and their custodians remain undervalued. By hosting COP17 during IYRP, Mongolia turned a commemorative year into a political opportunity.
An essential milestone came two years earlier at COP16 in Riyadh. Through Decision 5/COP.16, Parties requested distinct UNCCD caucuses for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This provided a foundation for Indigenous participation at COP17. Its political journey was captured in the title of the Indigenous Peoples High-Level Special Event on Land and People Day: “From Sacred Lands to Shepherding the Future.” The event linked recognition of sacred lands, territories, rights and knowledge with implementation, partnership and direct finance for Indigenous and pastoralist-led solutions.
Mongolia’s leadership was more than symbolism. Pastoralism is woven into the country’s identity, economy and living heritage, and Mongolia is home to a substantial pastoralist population. The Silk Road Caravan carried momentum from COP16 in Riyadh to COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, gathering experiences and demands along the way.
Immediately before COP17, the Global Pastoralist Gathering and Conference, held from 10–15 August, consolidated regional outcomes through field visits, discussions and plenary sessions. The resulting Global Pastoralist and Indigenous Pastoralists’ Call for Action, the Ulaanbaatar Declaration 2026, declared that pastoralists are not merely beneficiaries or stakeholders, but rights-holders, knowledge holders and solution providers. It called for collective land rights, Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), secure mobility and transboundary livestock corridors, direct finance, protection from land and water grabbing, and meaningful seats in decision-making.
These demands entered COP17 formally through the civil society Open Dialogue on rangelands and pastoralists. On 26 August, Land and People Day also featured a ministerial dialogue on rangeland restoration and pastoralist well-being. Participants stressed that rangelands are productive living landscapes, not vacant or marginal lands, and that mobility is an ecological strategy for responding to seasonal variability. They called for secure customary tenure, respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and recognition of pastoralists as custodians and decision-makers.
COP17’s final decision on “Rangelands and pastoralists”, ICCD/COP(17)/L.19, translated part of this momentum into an intergovernmental mandate. Parties recognised pastoral mobility, including transboundary mobility where appropriate; encouraged legal and policy frameworks for conserving, sustainably managing and restoring rangelands; invited improved tenure security in line with the VGGT; and supported the Rangelands Flagship Initiative and Coalition of Rangeland States. The decision also requested stronger evidence and investment pipelines, recognition of pastoralist knowledge and exploration of an International Day of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
However, most provisions remain intentional, invitational and subject to national circumstances and available resources. COP17 was therefore an opening, not an endpoint. Its real legacy will depend on whether the journey from sacred lands to shepherding the future delivers secure rights, direct finance, and lasting decision-making power for pastoralist peoples themselves.
