Egypt’s acting environment minister Manal Awad said on Saturday that the ministerial declaration issued after the second meeting of the Middle East Green Initiative’s ministerial council reaffirmed member states’ commitment to strengthen regional cooperation to combat land degradation, halt desertification and boost resilience to drought.
Awad said the meeting, chaired by Saudi Environment Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli in Jeddah, brought together council members from 30 countries.
She added that the declaration paved the way for the initiative’s operational phase, including the launch of projects to expand vegetation cover and restore degraded lands across member states.
Awad welcomed the council’s call for members to set ambitious national targets for land restoration and greening efforts in line with relevant multilateral environmental agreements, noting that the council praised projects implemented by member countries, including Egypt.
She also highlighted an announcement by the Arab Coordination Group pledging $12 billion by 2030 to support global projects aimed at restoring degraded lands and strengthening resilience to drought and desertification.
The declaration stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation with regional and international organisations, as well as the key role of the private sector, financial institutions and civil society in addressing land degradation and drought challenges, Awad said.
The council expressed full support for the outcomes of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s COP16 summit chaired by Saudi Arabia, describing it as a turning point in boosting global backing for action on land degradation and drought.
The declaration also approved rotating the council’s presidency among regional member states in Africa and Asia starting in 2027, and welcomed Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Syria as new regional members of the initiative.
