Zimbabwe has assumed the chairmanship of the African Group at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties, taking on a key role in driving Africa’s response to drought, land degradation and desertification.
The leadership change came as COP17 concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, last week, with Zimbabwe taking over from Côte d’Ivoire. The country will lead the African Group for the next two years, through to the conclusion of COP18 in Egypt in 2028.
Zimbabwe will also chair the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), a body responsible for assessing progress in implementing the convention and helping shape policy discussions on land degradation and drought.
Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Evelyn Ndlovu described the responsibility as a “sacred trust” entrusted to Zimbabwe by the continent’s 54 member states.
The new leadership comes at a critical time for Africa, which continues to face worsening droughts, land degradation and climate-related pressures affecting agriculture, food security and rural livelihoods.
Zimbabwe has already pushed strongly for greater international action on drought, including support for a legally binding global drought protocol and increased financing for climate resilience and land restoration.
The chairmanship therefore gives Zimbabwe a powerful platform to champion African priorities in global environmental negotiations while seeking stronger financial and technical support for communities most vulnerable to climate change.
For Zimbabwe, the challenge now is to turn the new leadership position into tangible action for a continent increasingly on the frontline of the climate crisis.
