The UNCCD civil society panel was established by the Conference of the Parties to bring together the civil society community involved in the Convention. The five members democratically elected by the observer organizations have been mandated to liaise with their constituencies and ensure that their voices are heard at all levels. The present panel identified three priorities for the current biennium: Involve the civil society in the achievement of land degradation neutrality, bring to the attention of decision makers the importance of protecting the land rights and ensure the communication with all the stakeholders.