A joint publication by United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Food and Agriculture Organization is expected to be officially launched in August 2026, on the occasion of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to be held in Mongolia.This strategic document aims to guide countries in addressing land degradation and the deterioration of agricultural soils, in a context of increasing climate pressures.The initiative builds on the landmark Decision 19/COP.16, adopted in 2024 during the 16th session of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties. Through this decision, States Parties committed to “avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation and the degradation of agricultural soils.” They also mandated the FAO, in collaboration with the UNCCD Secretariat and other partners, to develop technical guidelines promoting sustainable land use, responsible governance, and diversified agricultural systems capable of strengthening food security and nutrition in the face of climate change.The drafting process for these guidelines was launched in September 2025, through a phase of expert input and multi-stakeholder consultations. This resulted in a draft document provisionally titled: “Living Soils, Productive Lands, Resilient Landscapes: Guidelines to Avoid, Reduce and Reverse Land and Agricultural Soil Degradation.”Within this framework,Ellen Otaru Okoedion representing African civil society organizations (CSOs), is calling for increased stakeholder mobilization to review and enrich the draft. She specifically invites CSO representatives to take part in an in-depth review of the proposed guidelines ahead of their final adoption.The document is structured into two distinct sections. The first outlines the overall framework, including land management and governance strategies and approaches. The second section, considered the operational core of the text, provides a set of practical guidelines. Contributions from CSOs are particularly expected on this section, especially in terms of proposing tools, additional resources, and best practices.To ensure continuous updating of these guidelines, the FAO and UNCCD also plan to develop a digital companion based on the Agrifood Systems Technologies and Innovations Outlook (ATIO) platform, which will help integrate emerging knowledge and innovations in the agricultural sector.Stakeholder contributions must be submitted no later than May 7, 2026, through the dedicated UNCCD and FAO channels. Only submissions received before this deadline will be considered in the final version of the document.This participatory process marks an important step toward building international reference frameworks capable of supporting more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems in the face of global environmental and food challenges.Babacarsene Journal Agropasteur