Global bid for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

Since 2016, the international efforts have begun working together to gain support for a United Nations designated International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP). This led to the establishment of an IYRP Steering Committee that has spearheaded this effort by actively engaging with colleagues and interested parties around the world and calling upon organizations around the world to “contribute to raising the awareness of sustainable pastoralism and rangelands.

In the line of international attempts, a team of international experts met Mr. Khalil Aghaei, deputy minister and head of FRWO. In this meeting, Dr. Dana Kelly President of the International Rangelands Continuing Committee and the professor of Queensland of Australia and accompanying delegation, who had attended in the International Dusts Conference in Illam, expressed their opinions on the solutions for the challenges of management the rangeland and pastoralists' affairs during the meeting 

The international experts emphasized that any grassland policies and practices should consider the needs and demands of the beneficiaries. They asked Iran's support for joining the global bid to lobby the United Nations for declaring 2026 to be the "International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists"

Mr. Aghaie also emphasized need for exchange of experiences with international experts in the field of rangeland management in Iran. He welcomed the opportunity of an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, as a medium in advancing the goals of rangeland management at global level and vowed that the matter will be followed up through the Ministry of Agriculture.