The UN Conference on Deserts and Land Policy (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD) brings the series of international conferences on environmental issues to a close at the end of the year. After the meetings on biodiversity, climate, and plastic pollution, COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which runs until Dec. 13, is primarily intended to strengthen global resilience to droughts, including by tightening the legal obligations of states.