December, Panama City — One week after the close of UNFCCC’s COP30 in Belém, the global climate community has shifted its attention to Panama City for UNCCD’s 23rd Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23). As negotiators from more than 190 countries gather to confront accelerating land degradation, drought, and desertification, a new force is shaping the backdrop of the talks: Panama’s Nature Pledge, a bold call to align all three Rio Conventions — climate (UNFCCC), biodiversity (CBD), and desertification (UNCCD).
The timing could not be more consequential. With the UN system facing mounting budget constraints, deepening geopolitical fragmentation, and rising pressure for results, governments and institutions are being forced to “do more with less.” Panama’s proposal has rapidly gained traction among delegates who see alignment not as an aspiration, but as a necessity.
Panama’s Nature Pledge Moves to Center Stage
The Nature Pledge, introduced earlier this year as a cornerstone of Panama’s international engagement, calls for the structural integration of the three global environmental frameworks that emerged from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Rather than operating in parallel silos, the Pledge envisions coordinated targets, shared financing strategies, efficient monitoring, and improved cooperation between the conventions.
At CRIC23, this approach is no longer theoretical. It is driving real conversations about how multilateral institutions can streamline their mandates, reduce duplication, and collectively strengthen global capacity to confront drought, protect biodiversity, and stabilize the climate system.
Delegates have referenced the Nature Pledge as a framework that reflects the urgency of the moment. After a widely criticized COP30 outcome and tightened fiscal environments across UN agencies, many negotiators have signaled openness to innovations that improve coherence and efficiency across global agreements.
The Nature Summit Returns — Completing the Trilogy
Against this high-stakes backdrop, Panama and Global Resilience Partners (GRP) are co-hosting the third edition of the Nature Summit Series, an invitation-only high-level forum convening private, public, philanthropic, and civil society leaders alongside CRIC23.
Held on the margins of the negotiations, the Nature Summit has quickly become one of the most influential spaces for collaboration across sectors and conventions. This edition completes a trilogy:
1. Nature Summit I — May 2025 (Panama City): Launched alongside the UNFCCC’s Global Climate Week.
2. Nature Summit II — October 2025 (Panama City): Convened alongside the CBD’s Intersessional negotiations.
3. Nature Summit III — December 2025 (Panama City): Now taking place next to UNCCD’s CRIC23.
Across all three events, the throughline has been clear: breaking down silos, elevating proven solutions, and fostering cross-sector partnerships that accelerate implementation on the ground.
This week’s edition brings together leaders from governments, multilateral institutions, family offices, corporations, Indigenous communities, and civil society organizations. Delegates are gathering to explore how integrated strategies — like those embodied in the Nature Pledge — can unlock new financing mechanisms, expedite land restoration, support community resilience, and strengthen outcomes across the Rio system.
A Parallel Forum Driving Real-World Results
While CRIC23 negotiators focus on shaping global policy frameworks, the Nature Summit is designed to catalyze partnerships and capital that translate commitments into measurable impact. Delegates will review investable nature-based solutions, identify joint initiatives, and coordinate action across sectors that traditionally operate apart.
Panama’s leadership is an undercurrent in both arenas. As the only country to host all three of this year’s Nature Summits, Panama has positioned itself as a champion of integrated environmental governance and a hub for cross-sector collaboration.
A Defining Moment for the Global Environmental Agenda
The convergence of CRIC23 and the Nature Summit comes at a pivotal moment. Countries are grappling with escalating drought, mass biodiversity loss, and growing adaptation needs, even as the world faces economic headwinds and shrinking pools of international climate finance.
Panama’s Nature Pledge has emerged as a guiding frame for governments seeking alignment and efficiency. The Nature Summit Series is demonstrating how cross-sector partnerships can accelerate progress on the ground. And CRIC23 is serving as the arena where these ideas may shape the future of global environmental cooperation.
As negotiations continue in Panama City, one message is increasingly clear: meeting global challenges will require breaking silos, strengthening collaboration, and embracing integrated solutions. The world has arrived at a moment where it must — and can — do more with less.
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