The 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) officially opened with a ceremony at Yerevan’s Meridian Exhibition and Events Center on the evening of October 18, where Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered an address.
In his remarks, Pashinyan said Armenia views its COP17 presidency as an opportunity to unite the efforts of the international community and channel them toward practical and tangible results.
“Biodiversity is not merely the richness of nature. It is one of the foundations of our lives, health, food and water security, sustainable development, and the well-being of future generations. The state of nature directly affects people’s lives, while the degradation of ecosystems can exacerbate many of the challenges facing our societies. Addressing these challenges requires a combination of scientific knowledge, political will, international cooperation, and broad public participation.
“The Republic of Armenia is also assuming its responsibility in this collective endeavor. Our natural heritage, from Lake Sevan to our forest and mountain ecosystems, reminds us that protecting nature requires continuous efforts, responsible governance, and long-term thinking.
“Armenia views its COP17 presidency as an opportunity to bring together the international community’s efforts and direct them toward practical and tangible results. Alongside undertaking new commitments, our goal is to accelerate the implementation of existing ones, create new opportunities for cooperation, and make the contributions of every country and partner more effective in preserving and restoring biodiversity.
“For generations, we have built our economies and cities on the assumption that nature is an inexhaustible resource that we can manage and ultimately bring entirely under our control. But nature does not work that way,” he said.
Pashinyan noted that floods inundating settlements, fires destroying forests, the continuing degradation of ecosystems, and the disappearance of species serve as reminders of one fundamental truth: human well-being and ecosystem health are inseparable.
“Guided by this conviction, Armenia brought together leaders and representatives of various sectors of society in Yerevan ahead of COP17 to develop a shared vision and strengthen our collective commitment.
“Our message was clear: biodiversity conservation must remain among the priorities of the political agenda, and the commitments undertaken must translate into concrete actions and tangible results.
“Today, we bring that message to COP17 with a readiness to turn it into joint action, reaffirming our determination to move from commitments to their full implementation,” he said.
The prime minister added that the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, established shared goals and benchmarks for achieving them, and that the time has now come to turn that vision into action.
“Only four years remain until 2030, and our success depends on how consistently we can transform our commitments into concrete actions and those actions into measurable results.
“This is precisely the central mission of the Yerevan conference: to jointly assess the progress achieved, identify the gaps that remain, and agree on priority actions that will enable us to move forward more consistently and effectively, turning our commitments into real change.
“Today, we have reached a decisive stage on the road to 2030. We know what results we have achieved and what progress we have made. But we also recognize that a significant gap remains between our ambitions and their implementation.
“It is at this stage that leadership becomes particularly important. Let Yerevan be remembered not only as a milestone where we reviewed our progress, but also as the place where we reaffirmed our commitment and determination to fully implement our obligations and charted the path toward accelerating implementation of the Global Framework by 2030.
“No government, however capable, can accomplish this alone. We need governments willing to cooperate at different levels of public administration and across sectors. We need cities and municipalities, Indigenous peoples and local communities, women and young people, the scientific community, business and financial circles, and civil society,” Pashinyan said.
He added that Armenia assumes its responsibility, guided by the principles of transparency, inclusiveness, and respect for every voice, as well as the understanding that the true value of international cooperation becomes evident when jointly undertaken commitments are implemented in practice.
“The journey toward 2030 has already begun. We no longer have time to wait. Armenia stands ready to make its full contribution to this collective effort and work with each of you to ensure that the agreements reached in Yerevan become the foundation for sustained action and lead to real, long-term results for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity.
“Let Yerevan become a milestone of renewed political determination. Let this be the moment when we move from words to action and from fragmentation to cooperation. This means taking action for nature — ‘Taking Action for Nature,’” he said.
Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, thanked Armenia for its hospitality during her address and emphasized the importance of strengthening international cooperation.
“Despite geopolitical tensions and the escalating climate crisis, this conference demonstrates that multilateralism works and that commitments made are, above all, being honored,” she said, according to 1lurer.am.
Schomaker particularly highlighted the hospitality shown by the Armenian side, noting that the warmth and friendliness of the Armenian people had been evident from the very first moments of the delegates’ arrival. In her assessment, the organizers had made every effort to ensure that delegates arriving from different countries felt welcome and comfortable.
The Convention’s executive secretary expressed confidence that the international gathering organized in Yerevan had conveyed an important message of hope to the entire world. She urged participants to make effective use of the coming two weeks to unite international efforts, transform previously undertaken commitments into practical initiatives, and expand the scope of cooperation. Schomaker also stressed the need to deepen partnerships and accelerate the implementation of planned measures.
Addressing existing challenges, Schomaker noted that global reports provide a clear picture of where the international community stands and where the gaps remain. She expressed her conviction that the central objective of the ongoing meeting in Yerevan is precisely to close those gaps and identify more impactful measures.
Concluding her remarks, Schomaker emphasized that hosting a COP conference is no small undertaking and that Armenia had successfully and honorably met this challenge. She extended special thanks to Armenia’s ministries responsible for foreign affairs and international trade, as well as the environment, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, and the entire organizing team for their enormous and tireless work “behind the scenes.”
The opening ceremony was also attended by National Assembly Speaker Ruben Rubinyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Astrid Schomaker, delegations from various countries, and other invited guests. During the official ceremony, participants were shown the feature film “Trace” and a video about nature and cultural heritage. The event also featured a review of the outcomes of the Leaders for Nature summit.
