Communication on behalf of the COP16 President

代表缔约方会议第十六届会议主席的发言

At the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2024, Parties reaffirmed their strong commitment to advancing global drought resilience. Substantial progress was achieved, including the launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, the introduction of the World Drought Atlas, the establishment of the International Drought Resilience Observatory, and the strengthening of stakeholder participation across sectors.

在2024年12月在沙特阿拉伯利雅得举行的《联合国防治荒漠化公约》缔约方会议第十六届会议（COP 16）上，缔约方重申了对提高全球抗旱能力的坚定承诺。取得了实质性进展，包括启动了利雅得全球抗旱伙伴关系，推出了《世界干旱地图集》，建立了国际抗旱观测站，加强了利益攸关方跨部门的参与。

While consensus was reached on most elements of the draft decision on drought, a few key paragraphs related to the structure and scope of a future global drought framework or protocol remained unresolved. As a result, Parties agreed that further discussions were necessary, and that the adoption of a comprehensive decision on drought would be deferred to COP 17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

虽然就干旱问题决定草案的大多数内容达成了共识，但与未来全球干旱框架或议定书的结构和范围有关的几个关键段落仍未解决。结果，缔约方一致认为，有必要进一步讨论，关于干旱问题的综合决定的通过将推迟到在蒙古乌兰巴托举行的第十七届缔约方会议。

In this context, the COP 16 President has decided to launch the Tafa’ul Process, an informal and voluntary dialogue platform inspired by the Arabic word تَفَاؤُل (Tafa’ul), meaning constructive optimism and hopeful determination. As such, this initiative does not intend to engage in a parallel negotiation process; instead it seeks to foster collaboration, build trust, and bridge remaining differences among Parties ahead of COP 17, thereby creating a more conducive environment for formal negotiations to resume successfully at COP 17. Accordingly, this process aims to serve as a confidence-building and preparatory informal platform, led by Saudi Arabia as the COP 16 Presidency and with support from the UNCCD secretariat.

在此背景下，缔约方会议第十六届会议主席决定启动Tafa'ul进程，这是一个非正式和自愿的对话平台，其灵感来自阿拉伯语单词Tafa'ul，意思是建设性的乐观和充满希望的决心。因此，这一倡议不打算参与平行的谈判进程；相反，它寻求在缔约方会议第十七届会议之前促进合作、建立信任并弥合缔约方之间剩余的分歧，从而为在缔约方会议第十七届会议上成功恢复正式谈判创造更有利的环境。因此，这一进程旨在作为一个建立信任和筹备性的非正式平台，由第十六届缔约方会议主席沙特阿拉伯牵头，并得到《荒漠化公约》秘书处的支持。

The Tafa’ul Process will convene three in-person meetings, ensuring balanced regional representation and the participation of leading drought experts and external facilitators. These meetings will provide a safe and inclusive space for reflection, mutual understanding, and consensus-building, helping Parties identify shared interests and potential pathways toward agreements at COP 17. The Tafa’ul Process will be complemented with other activities, including an open dialogue with all Parties at the upcoming twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention, high-level ministerial meetings held on the margins of the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, and other activities that will allow all to discuss the way forward for the global drought resilience agenda.

Tafa’ul进程将召开三次面对面会议，确保平衡的区域代表性以及主要干旱专家和外部促进者的参与。这些会议将为反思、相互理解和建立共识提供一个安全和包容的空间，帮助缔约方确定共同利益和在缔约方会议第十七届会议上达成协议的潜在途径。塔法乌尔进程将得到其他活动的补充，包括在即将举行的《公约》执行情况审评委员会第二十三届会议上与所有缔约方进行公开对话，在联合国环境大会第七届会议期间举行高级别部长级会议，以及其他活动，使各方能够讨论全球抗旱议程的前进方向。