United States hampers UN desertification summit with veto of ‘Voldemort words’
The Trump administration’s delegation refused to use terms such as ‘gender’ and ‘Indigenous peoples’ at a conference where governments, development banks and companies unveiled a $1.3 billion financing package for grassland restoration and drought resilience
The United States has once again blocked a crucial agreement at the UN desertification summit in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Known as the "Voldemort words," the veto refers to key demands made by African nations. These demands included commitments to finance drought management efforts in vulnerable countries. However, the United States, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, vehemently opposed these proposals.
The conference aimed to address land degradation and drought, but the United States’ stances prevented a binding agreement. The European Union also failed to commit to the necessary funding. Despite the setback, the summit did secure assurances that droughts will remain a key topic in future discussions. However, with growing evidence of worsening droughts worldwide, the failure to reach a binding deal is deeply concerning.
The lack of progress on vital issues like gender perspectives, civil society involvement, and synergies among land, biodiversity, and climate change conventions has been particularly disappointing. The grasslands agreement, focusing on pastoralists and ecosystems that play a crucial role in carbon absorption, was a positive outcome.
Other agreements covered sand and dust storms, private-sector involvement, and grasslands restoration. But the overall impact of the United States' veto remains a significant concern for global efforts to combat desertification and its devastating effects.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
