The Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation H.E Dr. Ezz El-Deen Abu-Setit presented the Arab group speech at the 14th International Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in India. He stressed the Arab region, by virtue of its geographical location and its climatic and environmental conditions, is considered one of the most affected regions of the world in desertification, drought, dust and sand storms. The event was inaugurated by the Prime Minister H.E Mr Narendra Modi and attended by 3000 participants from 197 countries.

 H.E Dr. Ezz El-Deen said, the Arab countries have been working for more than half a century to establish specialized Arab organizations and centers such as the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and the Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) in addition to the largest desert research center in the Middle East belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in Egypt.

 H.E Dr. Ezz El-Deen pointed to the most important challenges facing the implementation of the Convention in the region, which is the absence of an institutional links in the region linking the Secretariat on to the specialized organizations working in the region to strengthen cooperation in the field of reducing land degradation and mitigating the effects of drought and dust storms and sand, especially in the areas of we look forward to initiating a new phase of cooperation with the Convention Secretariat in the implementation of the Strategic Framework of the Convention 2018-2030 and the fifteenth Sustainable Development Goals in the region.

The Egyptian Minister of Agriculture stressed the importance of producing conclusions and decisions from the Conference of the Parties 14 and the high-level meeting that will contribute to strengthening international and regional efforts to make the world healthy and able to provide the resources and services necessary for the living and well-being of human beings and all living things in a sustainable manner.

 It is worth mentioning that H.E Dr. Ezzedine, is heading the Egyptian delegation in this important international conference, accompanied by Dr. Naeem Moslehi, Head of the Desert Research Center and the National Coordinator of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.