Cambodia is preparing to submit its updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), following its formal approval by Prime Minister Hun Manet on October 24.
Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth confirmed the development during an October 27 bilateral meeting with CBD executive secretary Astrid Schomaker, held on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia.
The startegy process began in June 2025 and involved extensive consultations through 17 workshops, bringing together relevant ministries and institutions, local authorities, development partners, civil society organisations, academic institutions, youth, women, Indigenous peoples and the private sector. The process also incorporated input from two meetings of the National Council for Sustainable Development.
Cambodia’s NBSAP is aligned with phase one of the Royal Government’s Pentagonal Strategy, as well as the Environmental Circular Strategy, particularly its focus on the “green” dimension alongside cleanliness and sustainability.
It is also designed to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), the international agreement setting targets for protecting and restoring biodiversity.
The strategy places particular emphasis on Cambodia’s 73 protected natural areas, which cover about seven million hectares, or 39 per cent of the country’s total land area. This exceeds the KM-GBF’s “30×30” target of conserving at least 30 per cent of land and sea areas by 2030.
It sets out three main strategic objectives: Conserving and restoring biodiversity while strengthening ecosystem resilience; ensuring the sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of its benefits; and strengthening the enabling environment for effective implementation.
Schomaker praised Cambodian efforts to develop the strategy, saying the national plan addressed global challenges while reflecting a concrete contribution to protecting and preserving biodiversity for the benefit of humanity and future generations.
Sophalleth is leading a Cambodian delegation to COP17, which runs from October 25 to 29. The delegation includes government officials, along with representatives of civil society organisations, conservation partners, youth and women’s networks, Indigenous communities and the private sector.