UNCCD COP17, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 24—27 August 2026
The Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) participated in the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), held under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 24 to 27 August 2026. A delegation of 11 AFoCO staff, including Executive Director Dr. Chongho Park and Vice Executive Director Mr. Sunpil Jin, engaged in a comprehensive programme of side events, bilateral meetings, and partnership engagements focused on forest and landscape restoration, land degradation neutrality, climate finance, and private-sector investment.
Key Side Events and Engagements
AFoCO organized and co-organized four major side events during COP17, showcasing its approaches to forest restoration, carbon finance, agroforestry, and investment mobilization:
AFoCO Side Event (24 August): “Mobilizing Private Capital: AFoCO’s Business Models” brought together government, financial, and private-sector partners to discuss practical approaches for mobilizing investment for forest and landscape restoration. The event featured presentations on Green Investment Plans developed for Mongolia’s Billion Trees National Movement and the AFoCO-ACORN agroforestry carbon project in Kyrgyzstan, demonstrating how digital MRV, community engagement, and blended finance can enable scalable restoration investment.
Director General of NFA, Mongolia
AFoCO Landscape Partnership Asia (LPA) Side Event (26 August): “Bridging Landscapes and Capital for Sustainable Restoration” convened partners from across Asia to discuss investment-ready restoration projects and financing pathways. The session introduced LPA 2.0, emphasizing the transition from partnership to investment and impact through a three-stage approach: building a pipeline of country-driven projects, mobilizing blended finance, and delivering measurable results for climate resilience, biodiversity, and livelihoods.
AFoCO x ADB Side Event (26 August): “Scaling Agroforestry, Conservation, Carbon Finance, and Strategic Partnerships for Resilient Landscapes” explored how digital tools, community participation, and carbon finance can contribute to climate resilience and livelihood improvement. The Asian Development Bank presented the CARE (Conservation and Restoration for Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods) project under development, while ACORN shared its farmer-led agroforestry carbon model.
AFoCO x BCM Side Event under Business4Land Initiative (27 August): “Restoring Land, Returning Value: Mobilising Investment for Forest Landscape Restoration across Asia” co-hosted with the Business Council of Mongolia, gathered government, business, and financial partners — including the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, European Investment Bank, Yuhan Corporation, Oyu Tolgoi LLC, and Boreal Company Holdings — to discuss how private-sector commitments can be translated into practical restoration on the ground.
Memoranda of Understanding and Partnerships
AFoCO signed two significant Memoranda of Understanding during UNCCD COP17:
MOU with Business Council of Mongolia (BCM): Signed by Dr. Chongho Park, Executive Director of AFoCO, and Mr. Tumentsogt Tsevegmid, Chairman of BCM, this partnership establishes a framework for cooperation to promote private-sector engagement in forest-based climate action. The MOU supports Mongolia’s national climate and afforestation goals, including the “Billion Trees” National Movement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Cooperation areas include engaging BCM member businesses in joint forest conservation and restoration programs, promoting public-private partnerships for CSR and ESG objectives, and facilitating networking through the Friends of Asia and Asian Forests (FAAF) platform.
MOU with TESO Group: Signed by Dr. Chongho Park, Executive Director of AFoCO, and Ms. Bolor Sainjargal, CEO of TESO Group, this partnership establishes a framework for cooperation on urban greening and tree planting in Mongolia. The partnership supports Mongolia’s national afforestation goals and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Under the MOU, the Parties will develop joint programmes on forest conservation and restoration, forest carbon sequestration, community livelihoods, and urban green space, alongside related capacity building.
AFoCO-NFA Pledge of Cooperation
On 24 August 2026, AFoCO and Mongolia’s National Forest Agency (NFA) held a Pledge of Cooperation ceremony to reaffirm their joint commitment to forest restoration in Mongolia. The event brought together representatives from the NFA, Tuv Aimag, Dornod Aimag, development partners, and stakeholders. The ceremony featured opening and congratulatory remarks by NFA Director General Dr. Oyunsanaa Byambasuren, AFoCO Executive Director Dr. Chongho Park, and Tuv Aimag Governor Mr. Tumurchudur Lkhagvasuren. The pledge represents a shared commitment to translate Mongolia’s restoration ambitions into concrete action, measurable results, and lasting benefits for forests, communities, and climate resilience.
AFoCO’s participation in UNCCD COP17 demonstrated its commitment to advancing forest and landscape restoration through practical partnerships, innovative financing models, and cross-sectoral collaboration. The organization looks forward to translating these engagements into concrete projects and measurable impacts across Asia.
Contributed by Dr. Hannah Suh (Program Officer)