The quality of her moderation, her ability to facilitate discussions, and her commitment to strengthening the participation of African civil society in international debates have been praised by several of her peers attending the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17).As Chairperson of the African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Panel within the UNCCD, and as a journalist representing the Journalists for Environment in Tanzania (JET), Ms. Ellen Otaru-Okoedion plays an important role in representing African civil society within the Convention’s dialogue spaces.This recognition from her peers comes at a time when African civil society organizations are seeking to strengthen their coordination and participation in international discussions on desertification, land degradation and drought.At COP17, panels, side events and other spaces dedicated to civil society organizations provide important platforms for raising community concerns and highlighting initiatives developed at the local level.Discussions focus in particular on land restoration, community resilience, pastoralism, food security, mobilization of financial resources, and efforts to address the impacts of climate change.In this context, the chairpersonship of the African CSOs Panel represents a strategic responsibility. It helps facilitate dialogue between civil society organizations and the various stakeholders involved in international processes aimed at combating desertification and land degradation.Among the sessions she moderated was a side event dedicated to cheetah conservation, entitled “The Cheetah Survives on Just 9% of Its Historic Range.”The session highlighted the worrying situation of this species, whose historical range has been dramatically reduced. Discussions also emphasized the close links between biodiversity conservation and the preservation of drylands.Participants stressed that cheetah protection should be considered as an integral component of dryland ecosystem conservation, while promoting approaches that can contribute to achieving land degradation neutrality.Ms. Ellen Otaru-Okoedion participated in the session in her capacity as Chairperson of the UNCCD African Civil Society Organizations Panel, while also representing the Journalists for Environment in Tanzania.She also moderated the side event “Restoring Land, Restoring Lives – Scalable Solutions for Arid Regions for Food Security,” held in Room MET 02.The session focused on scalable solutions for restoring land, strengthening food security and improving the resilience of communities whose livelihoods depend directly on dryland territories.The event notably featured the participation of Ahmed Abdel Aaty, Executive Focal Point of the UNCCD in Egypt, who was invited as the guest of honor.Through these various responsibilities, Ms. Ellen Otaru-Okoedion is helping to increase the visibility of dryland issues and the concerns of African communities that are particularly vulnerable to desertification, land degradation and the impacts of climate change.The congratulations she received following these sessions reflect the recognition of her peers for the quality of her moderation, her ability to facilitate dialogue and her commitment to strengthening the participation of African civil society in international debates.At COP17, this recognition comes as African CSOs work to make their priorities more strongly heard on land restoration, community resilience, pastoralism, food security and climate finance.Through her role within the UNCCD CSOs Panel, Ms. Ellen Otaru-Okoedion is contributing to a broader dynamic aimed at strengthening the voice, coordination and influence of African civil society in international processes addressing desertification, land degradation and drought.Babaclimat – Journal Agropasteur