St Vincent and the Grenadines has secured a leadership position at the United Nations conference addressing desertification, land degradation and drought, with agricultural officer Karomo Browne appointed Vice President of the Bureau of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

Browne, an Agricultural Diversification Officer in St Vincent and the Grenadines, was appointed to the position on August 18 during the conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

As a member of the conference’s steering and executive body, Browne will support the President in guiding the session, promote balanced regional representation and chair meetings when required. He will also assist with intersessional tasks and follow-up programmes.

The appointment provides St Vincent and the Grenadines and other Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) with a voice in discussions on land degradation, drought resilience, sustainable land management and climate-related challenges.

“This is the perfect opportunity to ensure that the voices of Caribbean SIDS are heard,” Browne said.

“Small island developing states face unique vulnerabilities, and our perspectives must be reflected in decisions that shape global action on land, drought and resilience.”

The 17th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification is being held in Ulaanbaatar from August 17 to 28 under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.”

The conference brings together governments, civil society, scientists, youth, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, smallholder farmers and other stakeholders to advance solutions to desertification, land degradation and drought.

In his role as Vice President of the COP17 Bureau, Browne is expected to contribute to discussions focused on food security, livelihoods, water resilience and sustainable land stewardship, with particular attention to the challenges facing Caribbean SIDS and other vulnerable regions.