With school back in session and agendas quickly filling up after the late Northern summer hiatus, September is often one of the busiest months, and this year is no exception. High-level meetings are taking place throughout September, and the “Summit Week” at the end of the month is expected to chart the course for the rest of the year and into 2020.
The month opens with a two-week meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which is expected to assess progress under the UNCCD Strategic Framework. This Framework seeks to align the Convention’s goals with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, among other goals. In conjunction with the COP, the Global Youth Caucus on Desertification and Land, a formal constituency to the UNCCD will convene a Desertification Youth Forum to discuss the youth perspective.