The 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) began in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Countries are negotiating a global drought framework after COP16 in Riyadh ended without a legally binding agreement. Nations have pledged to restore about 1 billion hectares of degraded land, while an estimated 1.5–2 billion hectares are degraded worldwide. The meeting concentrates on finance, technology and action against drought and land degradation. Host Mongolia said 77% of its land is affected by desertification and degradation.