From 19 to 30 October, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP17, took place in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where progress to date was assessed and future actions for achieving the 2030 global biodiversity targets were discussed. The conference slogan “Action for Nature” calls for accelerating the transformation of major goals into action.

The focus of COP17 was the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which includes 23 targets for 2030, including the conservation of natural areas, the restoration of degraded ecosystems, and the reduction of the impact of pollution and invasive species. At this conference, the overall progress in implementing the framework was evaluated on an international scale for the first time. The report published by the Convention Secretariat indicates that countries have begun implementing measures for all 23 targets, yet progress is insufficient to reach the 2030 goals. Therefore, COP17 countries evaluated the main obstacles and discussed how to improve the implementation of the adopted agreements.

Latvia has been a party to the convention since 1996 and participates in the formation of the common EU position. The COP17 agenda also includes issues relevant to Latvia, such as the effective management of protected areas and the integration of biodiversity considerations into sectoral planning documents. These are also significant for the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law and the development of the National Nature Restoration Plan.

Participation in COP17 provides Latvia with an opportunity to engage and contribute to international negotiations and gain practical experience, which will be particularly significant in preparation for Latvia’s presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2028. Currently, in the COP17 negotiations, the positions of member states are being coordinated by Ireland as the presiding country of the Council of the EU, which, together with the European Commission, represents the EU in discussing COP agenda issues; at the next conference, COP18, this task will have to be undertaken by Latvia, ensuring the formation, coordination, and representation of the common EU position.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty with three main objectives: to conserve biological diversity, to ensure its sustainable use, and to fairly and equitably share the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. Its conference of the parties usually takes place every two years. Alongside delegations from member states and the European Union, representatives of international organizations, science, business, civil society, and indigenous and local communities participate in it.

The work of the conference took place at several levels. It adopted more than 30 decisions, the drafts of which are reviewed in working groups and thematic contact groups, seeking compromises on issues where participants have disagreements. Final decisions are adopted at a plenary session.

More information:

Official website of COP17: https://cop17yerevan.am/en
Global Biodiversity Framework and its goals: https://www.cbd.int/gbf
COP17 daily negotiation reports (ENB) https://enb.iisd.org/un-biodiversity-conference-cbd-cop17