UNCCD COP17 Land and Drought Media Reporting Fellowship 2026 for Journalists (Fully Funded to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) – Opportunities For Africans

Application Deadline: 15 April 2026

Applications at the moment are open for the 2026 UNCCD COP17 Media Reporting Fellowship. The UNCCD and the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) are launching the UNCCD COP17 Land and Drought Media Reporting Fellowship to help journalists masking one of many defining, but underreported, tales of our time: the rising stress on the world’s land and what it means for meals and water safety, financial stability and world resilience. 

Six journalists will probably be chosen to report from UNCCD COP17, which is able to convene in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 17-28 August, 2026 to advance options for restoring land, strengthening drought resilience and safeguarding the ecosystems that maintain livelihoods around the globe.  

Requirements

The fellowship is open to skilled journalists (workers or freelance) with a robust monitor document of reporting on atmosphere, local weather, agriculture, growth, meals programs, enterprise, or associated points. 

Applicants ought to: 

• Work with a acknowledged media outlet
• Be primarily based in international locations affected by desertification, land degradation and drought
• Demonstrate an curiosity in reporting on the intersection between environmental change and social and financial dynamics
• Applicants ought to exhibit a robust command of English, enabling them to comply with COP17 briefings, occasions and knowledgeable discussions 

Selected fellows will signify totally different areas and languages, together with the six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish). 

COP17 will coincide with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 and spotlight their position in world meals safety, sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation and local weather motion.  

The fellowship will cowl: 

• Access to UNCCD specialists, together with pre-COP digital briefings to deepen the understanding of the important thing points associated to COP17
• Support for COP17 participation, together with a return economy-class journey to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, lodging throughout COP17 (21–28 August 2026) and COP17 media accreditation
• A subject go to in Mongolia with Opportunities to interact with native communities  

Selected fellows will: 

• Participate in pre-COP digital briefings with specialists
• Attend and report from UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar
• Produce  unbiased journalistic protection linked to the themes of the fellowship 

All fellows retain full editorial independence and journalistic integrity. 

Fellows will publish at the very least three tales, together with: 

• One story forward of COP17
• One story throughout COP17
• One story after COP17, connecting the worldwide dialog on land and drought to their native realities  

At least one story ought to spotlight options linked to drought resilience and sustainable land administration or land restoration.

Applicants should submit: 

• Three samples of related printed work
• A letter from an editor confirming intent to publish COP17-related protection
• A brief proposal outlining three potential tales, together with one forward of COP17
• Information concerning the media outlet’s attain, together with viewers dimension and geographic scope
• CV or resume 

Application Timeline:

Timeline: 

• Applications open: 16 March 2026
• Application deadline: 23:59 GMT on 15 April 2026
• Selected fellows notified: finish of April 2026
• Pre-COP briefings: May-June 2026
• COP17 fellowship reporting: August 2026 

 Send your application supplies to [email protected] with the topic line « COP17 Media Fellowship Application » 

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the UNCCD COP17 Media Reporting Fellowship