UNCCD

What UNCCD does

UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) is an intergovernmental treaty body established in 1994 and headquartered in Bonn, Germany, with 197 country Parties as signatories. It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management, focused on combating desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD). Its substantive mandate covers Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target setting, drought resilience, and restoration of degraded ecosystems, with quantified impact goals such as restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land globally by 2030 and 100 million hectares through the Great Green Wall in the Sahel.

UNCCD operates a digital ecosystem anchored by the PRAIS4 (Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System) national reporting platform and the UNCCD Data Dashboard for visualization of country-submitted reports. The PRAIS4 platform was upgraded in August 2025 with a country overview dashboard, peer-to-peer chat, expanded user roles, and improved validation tools. Complementary digital tools include the PRAIS4 Help Desk, a multilingual reporting manual (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic), and a suite of campaigns (Sport4Land, HerLand, Silk Road Caravan 2026). The Global Land Outlook publication series (GLO1 2017, GLO2 2022, GLO3 2026) and Good Practice Guidance for SDG indicator 15.3.1 form the scientific backbone of the convention.

UNCCD's business model is non-commercial: it is funded through voluntary and assessed contributions from its 197 member states, channeled via the UN regular budget and supplementary trust funds. The organization operates through a governance structure of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Committee on Science and Technology (CST), and the Committee for the Review of Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), supported by five regional liaison offices (Bonn HQ, New York, Rabat, Panama City, plus Northern Mediterranean and Europe/CEE coverage). Its go-to-market is multilateral diplomacy and direct government engagement rather than sales. UNCCD supplements member-state funding through flagship initiatives such as the Great Green Wall Accelerator (USD 19 billion in commitments secured in January 2021) and the Business4Land (B4L) Champions' Council, which mobilizes private-sector partnerships, exemplified by the Nexira Acacia Project in Chad.

Name

UNCCD

Legal name

The United Nations secretariat to the Convention to Combat Desertification

Website

https://unccd.int

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Environmental Governance

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Public Administration (92)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry, Land Use & REDD+ Programs (BPADALAF), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Land degradation policy
• Desertification convention
• Drought resilience governance
• Land restoration initiatives
• Environmental treaty reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Party Contributions: UNCCD operates through voluntary and assessed contributions from its 197 member states (Parties) to fund the implementation of the Convention's mandate to combat desertification, land degradation, and drought.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UNCCD is the secretariat for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, coordinating the 197 country Parties' implementation of national action against desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD). Its core deliverable is the global governance framework for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), operationalized through the PRAIS4 national reporting system, the UNCCD Data Dashboard, flagship restoration initiatives such as the Great Green Wall Accelerator and Business4Land, and major science publications including the Global Land Outlook.

Product overview

UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) is an international environmental convention focused on combating desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD). UNCCD operates a suite of digital platforms and initiatives centered around the PRAIS4 Reporting Platform for national reporting and the UNCCD Data Dashboard for data visualization. Key initiatives include the Great Green Wall Initiative aiming to restore 100 million hectares in the Sahel by 2030, and Business4Land mobilizing private sector engagement. The organization also runs campaigns including Sport4Land, Silk Road Caravan, and HerLand for gender equality. The Convention's work spans science and data through the Science Platform, governance through COP/CST/CRIC bodies, and regional implementation through five regional liaison offices (Africa, Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, Northern Mediterranean, and Europe/CEE). UNCCD's Science, Policy, and Implementation (SPI) mechanism guides the strategic framework 2018-2030.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PRAIS4 Reporting Platform Web-based national reporting platform enabling country Parties to the UNCCD to submit reports on actions taken to implement the Convention, with a user-friendly interface, pre-filled default data from global sources, and validation tools.
• UNCCD Data Dashboard Interactive web-based dashboard for exploring core topics under UNCCD's mission through national reporting data, supporting visualization of land-degradation and DLDD indicators.
• Global Land Outlook (GLO) Publication Series Major UNCCD publication series providing comprehensive assessments of land degradation and restoration (GLO1 2017, GLO2 2022, GLO3 2026), including regional and thematic reports.
• Great Green Wall Initiative (and Accelerator) African Union initiative, hosted by UNCCD's Global Mechanism, to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs by 2030 in the Sahel.
• Business4Land (B4L) Initiative UNCCD flagship private-sector engagement initiative mobilizing companies to address land degradation, strengthen drought resilience, and contribute to restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030, featuring a Champions' Council of leading companies.
• Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Target Setting Programme Programme supporting country Parties in setting and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality targets, forming part of the strategic framework 2018–2030 for implementing the Convention.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15.4% of global land classified as degraded (2019 baseline)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and notable.

• Great Green Wall AcceleratorflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Great Green Wall Accelerator, hosted by UNCCD's Global Mechanism, aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs by 2030 in the Sahel. It secured USD 19 billion in funding commitments at the One Planet Summit in January 2021 and specifically targets investment in small and medium-sized farms and strengthening of value chains.
• Nexira (Business4Land Champions' Council member)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNexira, a global leader in natural ingredients, is a founding member of the UNCCD Business4Land (B4L) Champions' Council. The partnership focuses on the Acacia Project in Chad, which aims to restore degraded lands and strengthen rural livelihoods through sustainable value chains, reaching 200 villages and 50,000 producers while managing 300,000 hectares of forest landscapes (2022-2030).
• SOS SAHELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOS SAHEL partners with UNCCD through the Acacia Project, working alongside Nexira to restore degraded landscapes and strengthen rural livelihoods in Chad through agroforestry, ecosystem restoration, producer training, and community development.
• ITU (International Telecommunication Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint establishment of the Working Group on Digital Transformation for Hydrology and Water Resources with SC-HYD 2, UNCCD, and UNDP. The group focuses on leveraging emerging technologies across the hydrological value chain and developing multi-stakeholder collaboration guidelines aligned with WMO Plan of Action for Hydrology 2022-2030.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the Working Group on Digital Transformation for Hydrology and Water Resources alongside ITU, UNCCD, and WMO, focused on digital transformation in water resource management.
• WMO (World Meteorological Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Working Group on Digital Transformation for Hydrology and Water Resources, aligned with WMO Plan of Action for Hydrology 2022-2030, conducting demonstration projects and developing capacity building programs.
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCCD praised KVIC's initiative for restoring arid land in Rajasthan through bamboo cultivation, involving planting approximately 5,500 plants on 25 acres with local community participation, costing ₹5 lakh, creating a replicable model for combating desertification.
• Business4Land Champions' CouncilflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCCD launched the Business4Land Champions' Council to accelerate land restoration, as part of private sector engagement initiative to mobilize companies to address land degradation, strengthen drought resilience, and contribute to restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030.
• World Economic Forum (WEF)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation between UNCCD and WEF on various initiatives including the Great Green Wall value chains report and the Lighthouse Operating System for manufacturing transformation, aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.
• HUMAINnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic financing framework agreement of up to $1.2 billion between HUMAIN and the National Infrastructure Fund for AI and digital infrastructure projects, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 goals and land restoration initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unccd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UNCCD
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNCCD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-nations-convention-to-combat-desertification-unccd-
• Instagraminstagram.com/unccd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UNCCD