As Armenia prepares to host the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan in 2026, the country is stepping up efforts to strengthen national capacities and foster broad societal engagement around the biodiversity agenda.
Through the project “Support to Armenia in the Lead-up to COP17,” the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus), in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia, are supporting this process by enhancing the knowledge and preparedness of national stakeholders. A series of capacity-building workshops entitled “Biodiversity Strategies and Key Documents” has been launched as part of this effort.
The first workshop was held on 20 November in Yerevan, bringing together representatives of government institutions, diplomatic missions, international organizations, civil society, and academic and research institutions. The event marked an important milestone in Armenia’s COP17 preparatory process, emphasizing the need for informed, inclusive, and coordinated action.
November 20, 2025, workshop in Yerevan
Opening the workshop, Thierry Lucas, Coordinator for Nature Action at UNEP’s Europe Office, underlined the significance of COP17 for Armenia. He emphasized that hosting COP17 is not only a diplomatic responsibility, but also a national opportunity.
“COP17 must become an event for the whole society,” he noted. “Every passerby in Yerevan should know what biodiversity is and feel proud of the steps Armenia is taking. UNEP, together with REC Caucasus, is supporting the Government through a group of high-level experts. Success will depend on a shared understanding within government and society of what COP17 can deliver and the legacy it can leave for Armenia.”
Thierry Lucas
The workshop also featured an overview of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, presented by Nune Harutyunyan, Regional Director of REC Caucasus. She highlighted the legally binding nature of the Convention and its three core objectives: biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.
“Biodiversity degradation is a reality in Armenia, as it is globally,” she noted. “COP17 offers Armenia a unique opportunity to modernize its biodiversity policies, legislation, monitoring systems, and institutional capacities, while integrating biodiversity into key economic sectors and strengthening climate resilience and green growth. Hosting COP17 will elevate Armenia’s role as a regional leader in global biodiversity governance.”
Public engagement and inclusivity were identified as central pillars of the COP17 process. Karen Khachatryan, expert at the Strategic Policy Department of the Ministry of Environment, stressed that Armenia, as COP President, must foster dialogue and consensus among Parties.
“Inclusivity, the idea of ‘COP for all’ is one of our key priorities,” he said. “Our role is to support convergence of positions and help Parties reach agreement.”
Karen Khachatryan
The discussions also focused on the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, two key instruments under the Convention. While Armenia has signed both protocols, ratification is still pending. REC Caucasus expert Dshkhuhi Sahakyan emphasized the importance of ratification for Armenia as COP host, noting that it would enable the country to participate fully and credibly in CBD decision-making processes.
Dshkhuhi Sahakyan
Complementing this, Tatyana Danielyan, REC Caucasus expert, highlighted the need for appropriate legal and institutional frameworks to support implementation.
Tatyana Danielyan
Attention was also given to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and Armenia’s updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). UNEP International Biodiversity Specialist Alla Aleksanyan noted that Armenia’s NBSAP has been developed in line with the global framework, which aims to halt biodiversity loss by 2050 and address the global biodiversity financing gap.
“Armenia’s NBSAP defines national priorities through 30 targets and 110 actions, supported by measurable indicators and monitoring mechanisms,” she said. “This is essential for accountability at both national and international levels.”
Alla Aleksanyan
Participants also emphasized the importance of synergy among sectoral conventions, stronger public-private partnerships, and active engagement of the business community in the COP17 process.
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December 11, 2025, workshop in Dilijan
With around 30,000 participants expected to attend COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia’s preparatory efforts are laying the foundation not only for a successful conference, but for a lasting national legacy in biodiversity governance, sustainable development, and international environmental cooperation.
December 12, 2025, workshop in Dilijan
The material was prepared within the framework of the “Support to the Armenia in the Lead-up to COP17” project, implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia.
January 23, 2026 at 15:50