On Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Abidjan, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Jean-Luc Assi, chaired a training course for journalists and communication professionals on the themes of desertification, drought and land degradation.

This, as a prelude to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (Cop 15) scheduled for 9 to 20 May 2022 in Abidjan.

The objective of this training is to enable media professionals to better understand the concepts and contribute effectively to the awareness of populations and economic operators and to the dissemination of accurate information on sustainable land management issues.

“The good organization and success of Cop 15 require the involvement, mobilization and commitment of all socio-professional groups, especially the media”, said Jean-Luc Assi.

The minister said that Cop 15, which will welcome more than 5,000 participants from 197 countries, will be marked by two major events. In particular the Summit of Heads of State and the Summit called “One Planet”.

He announced that during Cop 15, the President of the Republic, Alassane Ouattara, will present to his peers and guests the Abidjan initiative called “Abidjan Legacy Program”, which is a response from Côte d'Ivoire to the implementation of Cop 15 resolutions.

The Abidjan initiative will aim to mobilize between 600 million and 1 billion dollars from donors, during Cop 15, to restore degraded land and sustainably increase agricultural production in Côte d'Ivoire by 2030-2050.

“Land, life, heritage of a precarious world towards a prosperous future” is the theme of Cop 15.