France will send a large delegation of government officials, private sector representatives, scientists, and researchers to attend the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which will take place in August in Ulaanbaatar.

The announcement was made by the Ambassador of France to Mongolia, Corinne Pereira Da Silva, during a meeting with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Sandag-Ochir Tsend. The two sides discussed expanding bilateral environmental cooperation and working together on preparations for COP17. Discussions also focused on cooperation on water, forests, biodiversity conservation, and waste management.

Minister Sandag-Ochir expressed appreciation for France’s support of agreements reached at the recent G7 Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Paris on combating desertification and mitigating climate change.

He noted that cooperation between the two countries has expanded in the areas of meteorology, water, forestry, biodiversity, and waste management. The Minister also thanked the French government for deciding to provide approximately EUR 1 million in funding for the “Combating Desertification in Mongolia” project, which will be implemented in cooperation with Mongolia’s meteorological agency, Forestry Agency, and Water Agency. He described the funding as significant support for efforts to combat desertification and reduce soil degradation.

The project aims to strengthen scientific and technical cooperation in weather forecasting, wildfire prevention and management, and sustainable water resource management, particularly groundwater. The project will deepen environmental cooperation between the two countries, contribute to Mongolia’s environmental and climate change sector, and deliver substantial long-term benefits. 

Published Date:2026-05-17