By Abdullahi Lukman
Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s former Minister of Environment, has been appointed as the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), succeeding Ibrahim Thiaw.
The leadership handover took place on August 5, 2025, at the UNCCD Secretariat headquarters in Bonn, Germany.
Fouad brings over 25 years of environmental diplomacy experience and has played key roles in international climate and biodiversity negotiations, including chairing CBD COP14 and leading climate finance talks at UNFCCC COP27.
She pledged to drive ambitious post-2030 targets and enhance global cooperation on land restoration, drought resilience, and sustainable development.
Outgoing Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, a Mauritanian national who led the Secretariat since 2019, leaves behind a strengthened institution.
Under his leadership, the UNCCD made significant strides in promoting land restoration, particularly in vulnerable regions like the Sahel, Middle East, and Central Asia.
Initiatives such as the Great Green Wall, Middle East Green Initiative, and the G20 Global Land Restoration Initiative flourished under his tenure.
Thiaw also oversaw the establishment of key partnerships and platforms, including the International Drought Resilience Alliance (2022) and the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership (2024).
He emphasized inclusive development, ensuring that Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and local communities had a greater role in decision-making processes.
The UNCCD has highlighted the need to mobilize private sector investment, with just 6% of global land restoration funding currently coming from private sources.
Through collaborations like the Business4Land Initiative and partnerships with the World Economic Forum, the UNCCD aims to bridge this gap.
In reinforcing the science-policy interface, COP16 mandated a stronger role for scientific evidence in shaping land and drought-related decisions.
As Fouad steps into her new role, she has committed to further integrating science and policy, expanding partnerships, and placing affected communities at the heart of UNCCD’s work.
The transition marks a new chapter in the UNCCD’s three-decade journey to combat land degradation and promote sustainable land management globally.