Global Schools at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia: Bringing Education into the Land Restoration Conversation
In August 2026, Amanda Abrom, Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) Global Schools Program, took part in the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope.” Over the first week, Abrom and the Global Schools Program had the opportunity to engage with partners, hear directly from Mongolian students and educators, and make the case for education as an essential part of the conversation around restoring and protecting land.
During COP17, Abrom participated in the event, "Education for Land: Synergizing the Rio Conventions: Lessons Learned and Inspiring Strategies,” organized by the UNCCD’s G20 Global Land Initiative at the Action Dome. The session, moderated by Karen Sudmeier-Rieux, Education Expert at the G20 Global Land Initiative, brought together Ariunzaya Radnaa, Student at Shine Ehlel School in Ulaanbaatar; Mashrur H. Shurid, Co-founder and CEO of Aunkur and YECO 2023 alum; Shinetsetseg Erdenebayar, CEO of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Mongolia; Bayarmaa Zogsoosuren of the Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation; Bethany Walder, Executive Director of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER); Alejandra Ramos Gálvez, Senior Research Associate at the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS); and Apoorva Bose, Strategic Partnerships and Communications Officer at the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) of Landscape Alliance | CIFOR & ICRAF.
The conversation featured students from Mongolia, as well as several educators, researchers, universities, and restoration experts. Panelists shared their experiences, from bringing land restoration into school curricula to providing students more opportunities to get outside and take part in restoration projects. The event also included audience participation from Mongolian students representing Shine Ekhlel, Hobby School, Global School, Deutsche Schule, School No. 23, Erdmiin Orgoo School, and the Mongolian State Conservatory School, who shared their perspectives and firsthand restoration experiences.
During the event, Abrom shared a first look at the Land Action Labs, the SDSN’s new collaboration with the G20 Global Land Initiative. The Land Action Labs project will work with schools and teachers globally to make land restoration more practical and accessible by providing training materials, educational resources, and hands-on activities that students can take back to their own schools and communities.
The Global Schools Program also hosted an open-dialogue session with the Youth Negotiators Academy (UNA) and Eco Schools Mongolia, bringing young negotiators, high-school students, COP17 delegates, and educators together at the United Nations Association of Mongolia’s House of Friendship Pavilion. Barkat Bin Saïda Matazaky, a young negotiator for Madagascar, and Murunwa Mathoho, a young negotiator for South Africa, shared how they got involved in environmental negotiations, including the education, people, opportunities, and experiences that helped them navigate the process. Shinetsetseg Erdenebayar, CEO of FEE Mongolia, shared the work of students and teachers in Mongolia, and the importance of connecting students to nature in tangible, actionable ways. Afterwards, the conversation opened up to the participating COP17 delegates, allowing them to share insights from their own educational experiences.
Land restoration can appear to be an enormous challenge, but it can also start in practical ways in schools: From what young people learn and how they can see a learning pathway about these issues, to actually taking action.
The SDSN’s Global Schools Program looks forward to putting this into practice in partnership with the G20 Global Land Initiative, as the Land Action Labs initiative moves forward and is launched in schools around the world.
