RIYADH, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) signed Wednesday an agreement to pave the way for hosting the 16th session of the Convention's Conference of the Parties (COP16) in the Saudi capital Riyadh from Dec. 2 to 13.

The Riyadh COP16 will be the largest-ever meeting of UNCCD's 197 parties, the first of its kind to be held in the Middle East, and the largest multilateral conference ever hosted by Saudi Arabia, according to a UNCCD press release.

At the signing ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and UNCCD COP16 President Abdulrahman Al-Fadley said hosting the conference in the kingdom reflects the commitment to environmental protection at the national, regional, and international levels.

UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw expected the Riyadh COP16 to be "a turning point in the way we treat our most precious resource, land, and collectively tackle the global drought emergency."

The Riyadh COP16 will focus on mobilizing governments, businesses, and communities worldwide to accelerate action on land restoration and building resilience against drought for food, water, and energy security. Enditem

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