On 15 March 2022, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP). This final approval is the culmination of an IYRP movement that grew over several years to become a global coalition of over 300 pastoralist and supporting organisations. CELEP – the coalition behind this film festival – has played a very active role in this campaign, being part of the core team facilitating the IYRP International Support Group.
The Government of Mongolia and 60 other countries co-sponsored the resolution put before the UNGA. In this resolution, UNGA states that: “pastoralism is a dynamic and transformative livelihood linked to the diverse ecosystems, cultures, identities, traditional knowledge and historical experience of coexisting with nature”. It affirms that “healthy rangelands are vital for contributing to economic growth, resilient livelihoods and the sustainable development of pastoralism.” It asks FAO to facilitate the implementation of the IYRP in 2026.
See the English press release; translations into several other languages can be found on the IYRP website: https://www.iyrp.info/press-releases-announcements