15 June 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Sahara and Sahel Observatory, in partnership with the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), WOCAT, Conservation International and Apacheta, launched the regional capacity-building workshop dedicated to the 2026 UNCCD reporting process for English-speaking African countries. The workshop brings together national focal points and experts responsible for preparing UNCCD national reports from 24 English-speaking African countries. It aims to strengthen their technical capacities and promote a harmonized approach to the preparation and submission of national reports within the framework of the 2026 reporting cycle. The opening ceremony featured remarks by Mr. Emmanuel Nkurunziza, Director General of RCMRD, Ms. Birguy Laminaza, representative of the UNCCD Secretariat, and Mr. Mustapha Mimouni, representing OSS. The speakers emphasized the importance of capacity-building to improve the quality of national reports and address the related technical and institutional challenges. The workshop also focuses on the methodologies for calculating and reporting on the five objectives of the UNCCD 2018–2030 Strategic Framework, as well as SDG Indicator 15.3.1, which measures the proportion of degraded land over total land area. This indicator is a key component in assessing progress towards Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) through the analysis of land cover, land productivity and soil organic carbon. During the workshop, OSS is leading several technical and practical sessions on the use of PRAIS 4, the UNCCD’s main reporting platform, as well as spatial data analysis tools such as Trends.Earth and the LDN-Africa platform developed by OSS. Beyond its technical dimension, the workshop contributes to strengthening national reporting mechanisms, fostering the exchange of experiences among the 24 participating countries, and enhancing regional cooperation to meet the deadlines of the 2026 reporting cycle. It also seeks to reinforce OSS’s role as a technical centre of excellence in this field. Through this initiative, OSS reaffirms its commitment to supporting African countries in strengthening their technical and institutional capacities for the effective implementation of the UNCCD and the achievement of Land Degradation Neutrality objectives by 2030.