The 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in Ulaanbaatar from August 17 to 28.

Following an international tender for the construction of temporary facilities in the conference’s “Blue Zone,” France-based GL Events has been selected as the general contractor. The company has served as a main and supporting contractor for 11 COP events between 2011 and 2024. It has built temporary facilities in accordance with UN standards for conferences held under the three Rio Conventions—UNCCD, UNFCCC, and CBD. Most recently, GL events constructed the temporary facilities for UNCCD COP16, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2024, according to the Capital City Governor’s Office.

The conference will take place on land managed by the National Garden Park, a locally owned public enterprise. Certain works related to temporary structures and hospitality services are being organized by the Capital City Governor’s Office.

According to Battulga B., Director of the COP17 Investment and Infrastructure Department and Secretary of the negotiation working group, the conference will be organized in two zones—Blue and Green. The selection of the contractor for the Blue Zone temporary structures was conducted in three stages before a final decision was made.

Held under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope,” COP17 is expected to bring together around 10,000 representatives from more than 190 countries to discuss desertification and land degradation.

Published Date:2026-02-12