In August 2023, at the opening ceremony of the 9th Kubuqi International Desert Forum, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China and the General Secretariat of League of Arab States jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding MOU on the Establishment of the China-Arab International Research Center for Drought, Desertification and Land Degradation. The unveiling ceremony of the China-Arab International Research Center for Drought, Desertification and Land Degradation (referred to as "China-Arab Center") was held, and the first batch of cooperative projects were launched, marking the official establishment of the Chia-Arab Center.
In 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the "Eight Major Common Actions" for China-Arab practical cooperation at the first China-Arab Summit. The establishment of the China-Arab Center is one of the Actions. The China-Arab Center aims to strengthen and deepen cooperation between China and Arab countries in areas such as combating desertification, providing scientific and technological support, well-informed decision-making support and think tank services to jointly mitigate the impact of drought as well as prevent desertification and land degradation. It will facilitate the integration of talents, technical, financial and other resources of both sides, focusing on key technological innovation, achievement transformation and knowledge sharing, to promote innovation in governance concepts and practices. The China-Arab Center will also contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and promote regional and global green development and improvement of people's livelihood towards the goals of land degradation neutrality by 2030 and a 50% reduction in land degradation by 2040.
A Steering Committee and an Expert Panel will be established for the China-Arab Center and a General Office has been set up at the Chinese Academy of Forestry, to take charge of its routine operation.
For any questions, please contact: Wu Junqi, wu_junqi@caf.ac.cn.
