The only legally binding framework on desertification and drought, with 197 Parties
Background
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in 1994 to protect and restore land.
The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought.
There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union.
The Convention is based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization.
The UNCCD is also described as the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
Its secretariat calls the Convention the driving force behind Sustainable Development Goal 15.
The Conference of the Parties adopted a Strategic Framework at its thirteenth session, covering the period from 2018 to 2030.
The institutions of the Convention include the Conference of the Parties, the Executive Secretary, the secretariat, the Global Mechanism and an evaluation office.
In plain words
UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification — The global treaty on land degradation, desertification and drought.
COP Conference of the Parties — The meeting of all Parties to a convention, which takes its decisions.