Egypt Selected to Host UN Desertification COP18 in 2028

The decision was adopted unanimously during the closing session of COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Egypt has been selected to host the 18th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2028, following a unanimous decision by parties to the convention.

The decision was adopted during the closing session of COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, which ran from August 17th to 28th.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the selection followed diplomatic efforts and coordination with other government bodies, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, which serves as the national focal point for the convention.

The 2028 conference will add to a series of major UN environmental meetings hosted in Egypt, including the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh in 2022 and the COP14 biodiversity conference in 2018.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification emerged from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and entered into force in 1996. Its work centres on limiting desertification and land degradation while mitigating the effects of drought, issues closely tied to water and food security, particularly across Africa.

Former Egyptian environment minister Yasmine Fouad has headed the convention since May 2025.