As we approach the global activation of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), Ethiopia is taking a decisive step to lead the regional narrative. On behalf of the Pastoralist Forum Ethiopia (PFE) and our coalition partners, we are pleased to announce the Familiarization Workshop on IYRP 2026, held in Addis Ababa on January 23–24, 2026. Following the official global launch at FAO Headquarters in December 2025, this workshop serves as the critical bridge to the UNCCD COP in Mongolia (August 2026).
Workshop objectives
This high-level gathering at the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) focuses on four strategic pillars:
- Awareness: Mobilizing a diverse range of pastoral stakeholders.
- Evidence-based learning: Drawing concrete lessons from Ethiopia’s rangeland development history.
- Policy direction: Recommending future development pathways for the sector.
- Global integration: Proposing Ethiopian submissions for the global IYRP action plan.
Key strategic outcome: the "Ethiopia chapter"
A primary output of this event is the formal establishment of the "UNIYRP 2026 Chapter of Ethiopia". This body will operate under a dedicated Terms of Reference (TOR) to ensure sustained follow-up and implementation of IYRP activities nationwide.
Participation & leadership
The workshop brings together 150+ participants, including pastoral representatives from the Karamoja and Mandera clusters, parliamentarians, CSOs, and international partners including the EU and FAO. The initiative is spearheaded by an organizing committee led by the Ministry of Agriculture (Chair) and Pastoralist Forum Ethiopia (Co-Chair), with support from ESAP, ILRI, IPSS, and Pastoralist Concern.
See attachments.