Sudan continues its active participation in the 17th Session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), being hosted by Mongolia from August 17 to 28. The technical delegation is headed by Suleiman Al-Bouni, Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources. It includes representatives from the General Directorate of Rangelands at the Ministry of Animal Resources, the Ministry of Minerals, the University of Khartoum’s Desertification Studies Center, as well as officials from government ministries and sectors, universities, research centers, civil society organizations, and youth groups. Addressing the Committee on Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), Ms. Amani Adam Al-Nour of the Desertification Control Department at the Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources delivered Sudan’s statement on behalf of the delegation. She stressed that addressing drought, desertification, and land degradation requires stronger regional and international support, particularly in financing, capacity building, technology transfer, data provision, and strengthening early warning systems. She noted that strengthening regional cooperation in Africa is a priority for Sudan, including greater use of specialized regional centers and institutions working on climate, drought, and remote sensing. She expressed appreciation to the RCMRD, OSS, and NCNC for their reports.  Ms. Amani emphasized that the required support should go beyond report preparation to building sustainable national and institutional capacities for data collection, analysis, and use in policymaking. She also called for increased financial and technical support for the most vulnerable African countries and the establishment of sustainable national monitoring systems incorporating remote sensing and geographic information systems, alongside capacity development for specialized personnel.BH/BH