Yerevan, Armenia | 19 October 2026
The Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) is participating in the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), taking place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026, under the theme “Taking Action for Nature.”
The conference brings together representatives of 196 Parties to the Convention, alongside governments, international organizations, scientific institutions, civil society, youth, and the private sector. Attendance is expected to reach approximately 10,000–15,000 participants from around the world.
This session marks a pivotal milestone in global biodiversity governance, as it hosts the first global review of collective progress towards implementing the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The review assesses progress towards its 23 targets for 2030, with the overarching aim of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and advancing the 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature.
COP17’s priorities align directly with CEDARE’s institutional mandate and strategic areas of work, particularly environmental governance, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration, effective protected-area management, capacity development, evidence-based policymaking, and regional and international cooperation. Discussions on biodiversity finance and community engagement also offer opportunities to advance practical solutions that reflect the environmental and development priorities of Arab countries.
CEDARE’s participation provides an opportunity to follow emerging international policy directions, exchange expertise with relevant institutions and organizations, and identify partnerships that can be translated into regional initiatives and programmes supporting the effective implementation of biodiversity targets.
Mahmoud Fouad, CEDARE’s Biodiversity Expert, represents the Centre at the conference, contributing to its efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and align international environmental commitments with national and regional priorities and practical implementation.
