COP17 important platform for first global review of implementation of  Kunming-Montreal Framework - Ara Mkrtchyan

ArmInfo. The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity will be an important platform for the first global review of the  implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Framework. This was stated by  Ara Mkrtchyan, Deputy Minister of Environment of Armenia, at a press  conference dedicated to the first global review of collective  progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity  Framework (GBF).

The press conference was held as part of the 2026  Regional Environment Summit (RES) in Astana. Mkrtchyan announced that  COP17 will be held in Yerevan this year from October 19 to 30, 2026,  under the theme "Taking Action for Nature."

The conference, according to the Deputy Minister, will also serve as  a platform for assessing the progress of participating countries,  strengthening national strategies and plans, and mobilizing  international efforts to preserve biodiversity.

Meeting participants noted that holding the COP highlights the  region's importance on the global environmental agenda and opens new  opportunities for expanding international dialogue and cooperation.   The parties expressed confidence that the upcoming conference will be  an important step toward achieving global goals for biodiversity  conservation and ensuring a sustainable future.

During the press conference, Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of  the Convention on Biological Diversity, praised Kazakhstan's work to  restore and preserve biodiversity. The expert emphasized that the  country is taking active measures in this area not only within the  framework of the Convention but also beyond. In particular, Shumaker  praised Kazakhstan's efforts to restore the ecosystems of the  Northern Aral Sea, as well as the reintroduction of the Turanian  tiger and Przewalski's horse. The Executive Secretary noted that of  the world's 8 million animal and plant species, approximately 1  million are threatened with extinction, many of which could disappear  in the coming decades. "Biodiversity loss undermines ecosystem  services on which food security, economies, and the health of  millions of people depend," she said.

It is worth noting that the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity  Framework is an international agreement adopted in 2022 at the UN  Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), which sets a global action plan  for nature conservation through 2030 and 2050. The essence of the  framework: to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, ensuring "life in  harmony with nature."