<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class="">The three co-chairs of the Global
Alliance for the International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists – </span><b style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class=""><i class="">Igshaan
Samuels</i></b><span style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class=""> (South Africa), </span><b style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class=""><i class="">Burmaa Dashbel</i></b><span style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class=""> (Mongolia) and </span><b style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class=""><i class="">Enrique
Michaud</i></b><span style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class=""> (Peru) – met face-to-face for the first time at the 16</span><sup style="font-family: "Proxima Nova";" class="">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Proxima Nova"; font-size: 10.5pt;" class="">
Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD COP16), held in December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
They and several other members of the IYRP Global Alliance are attending the
numerous events during the COP that highlight rangelands and pastoralists, such
as:</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Mapping
grassland and savannah hotspots: bridging knowledge gaps for nature and people<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Women for
the future: enabling women-led rangeland restoration and resilience<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Protecting
and restoring rangelands<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Restoring
the forgotten landscapes: funding grasslands, savannahs and rangelands<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Principles<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt" class=""> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt" class=""> g</span>ood<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt" class=""> p</span>ractices<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class="">
</span>in<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> s</span>ustainable<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> r</span>angeland management for land restoration<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Valuing<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt" class=""> g</span>rasslands:<span style="letter-spacing:
-.15pt" class=""> c</span>ritical<span style="letter-spacing:-.3pt" class=""> e</span>cosystems<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> </span>for nature, climate and people<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;letter-spacing:-.1pt" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class="">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;
font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Data<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> </span>dilemmas:<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> b</span>ridging<span style="letter-spacing:-.2pt" class="">
</span>knowledge<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> </span>gaps<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> </span>for<span style="letter-spacing:-.15pt" class=""> </span>inclusive<span style="letter-spacing:-.25pt" class=""> </span>rangeland <span style="letter-spacing:
-.1pt" class="">governance<o:p class=""></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Shared
lands, shared futures: inclusive governance for rangelands and pastoralists<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Restoration
of global rangelands for people, nature and human wellbeing and development<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Mobility matters:
in the footsteps of pastoralists and hunter-gatherers walking around the world<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Restoring
balance: livestock management for ecosystem resilience & Land Degradation
Neutrality (LDN)<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Scaling up
sustainable land management for LDN in South Africa's grazing lands<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Breaking
barriers: finance, science and partnerships for rangeland restoration<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Accelerating
actions for healthy land in East Africa: pathways to pastoralist prosperity,
resilience and food security<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Sustainable
investments for large-scale rangeland restoration.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;line-height:117%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">One side
event is focused on the IYRP: <a href="https://www.iyrp.info/sites/iyrp.org/files/IYRP%20at%20UNCCD%20COP16_0.pdf" class="">Road
to the IYRP2026</a>.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;line-height:117%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">During the
COP, the IYRP Global Alliance is sharing some publications of its Working
Groups: <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Policy
brief “<a href="https://iyrp.info/sites/iyrp.org/files/IYRP_LDN_Policy_Brief%20low-res.pdf" class="">Global
action for sustainable rangelands and pastoralism to achieve LDN</a>”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:
auto;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Summary
brief “<a href="https://www.iyrp.info/sites/iyrp.org/files/2024%2011%20iyrp%20brief%20summary%20pastoralist%20women.pdf" class="">Building
on the knowledge and initiatives of pastoralist women</a>”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:25.1pt;mso-add-space:auto;
text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:117%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:
Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol" class="">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:117%;font-family:"Proxima Nova"" class="">Position
paper “<a href="https://www.iyrp.info/sites/iyrp.org/files/IYRP%20position%20paper%20Pastoralism%20%2B%20protected%20areas%20Dec%202024.pdf" class="">Pastoralism
and protected areas</a>”. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
<!--EndFragment--><div class="">
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