The seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties ( COP17 ) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on August 17, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. • Dates : August 17–28, 2026 • Theme : "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." • Location : Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia • Participants : Delegates from 196 countries and the European Union • Focus Areas: Land degradation neutrality, rangelands and pastoralists, drought resilience, and mobilizing private-sector finance.