UN General Assembly (UNGA)

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. Among other things, the UNGA receives reports from other parts of the UN system and makes recommendations through resolutions. At the 76th session of the UNGA in 2021 in New York City, a report from the FAO included the proposal for a resolution to proclaim 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP). The FAO proposal is based on the original proposal made by the Government of Mongolia to the FAO Committee on Agriculture and endorsed by that body in October 2020. The proposal was subsequently endorsed by the FAO Council in December 2020 and by the FAO Conference in June 2021. On 15 March 2022, UNGA passed the resolution - supported by 102 countries - and assigned responsibilities to FAO for leading, facilitating and supporting the implementation of the IYRP and for setting up an International Steering Committee. This was set up in mid-2025 (see www.iyrp.info/un-process).