China Pavilion opens at UN conference on desertification held in Riyadh

UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza Murillo speaks at the opening ceremony of the China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 2, 2024. The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

RIYADH, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification.

Covering more than 600 square meters, the China Pavilion is the second-largest national pavilion at the event. Its exhibition, themed "Cross-Century Green Great Wall, China's Restoration in Action," showcases the nation's battle against desertification, particularly through the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, a major national initiative aimed at reversing land desertification.

At the opening ceremony, UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza Murillo praised China's significant contributions to global desertification control. "I was moved by the images of different generations of Chinese people fighting desertification and by China's leadership in this process," she said. She also emphasized that effective policies, community and local government involvement, as well as innovation and technology, are key components of China's success.

Guan Zhi'ou, head of the Chinese delegation and administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, remarked, "For 30 years since joining the convention, China has diligently fulfilled its responsibilities, actively participating in global desertification control alongside countries in the Belt and Road Initiative."

"China will continue to share technologies and experiences, contributing wisdom and strength toward achieving the 2030 global land degradation neutrality target and advancing the G20 global land initiative," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chang Hua, in his address, highlighted the growing cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia in combating desertification, particularly in support of the Kingdom's Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives, as well as the development of renewable energy in the region.

COP16, held from Dec. 2 to 13 under the theme "Our Land. Our Future," is the largest UN land-focused conference to date and the first UNCCD COP in the Middle East and North Africa. Delegates are expected to make decisions on collective actions aimed at accelerating land restoration, improving resilience to droughts and sandstorms, restoring soil health, and scaling up nature-positive food production, with a focus on 2030 and beyond.

People visit the China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 2, 2024. The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

People attend the opening ceremony of the China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 2, 2024. The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

People visit the China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 2, 2024. The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chang Hua speaks at the opening ceremony of the China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 2, 2024. The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Guan Zhi'ou, head of the Chinese delegation and administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, speaks at the opening ceremony of the China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 2, 2024. The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)