COP17 will be assessed not by the number of statements made in Yerevan, but by the long-term results we will achieve together after COP17. Armenia’s Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan on Monday stated this.
Matevosyan outlined three key priorities for the second week of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, being held in Yerevan, the Armenian capital.
The first is to strengthen political leadership to ensure the implementation of biodiversity conservation measures. Matevosyan believes that biodiversity issues should not remain exclusively within the purview of environment ministries, and they should be taken into account when making decisions that shape the economy, state budgets, and investments.
The second priority is to translate global goals into practical cooperation. In this regard, the Armenian presidency at COP17 will present four initiatives aimed at protecting mountain and freshwater ecosystems, promoting effective territorial measures for nature conservation, improving biodiversity data processing with the help of technology, as well as reforming harmful incentives and expanding positive incentives.
Also, Matevosyan announced the launch of the “Friends of Target 18” initiative of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Its goal is to form partnerships and mechanisms that will ensure long-term results after COP17. The third priority is to translate the results of the first global assessment of progress in the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework into practical actions.
This is precisely what the “Yerevan Path” proposed by Armenia is aimed at, which implies linking progress assessment with practical decisions and accelerating program implementation, he noted. The Armenian environment minister added that important talks are continuing within the framework of COP17.
The latter’s Armenian presidency will work with all parties to overcome differences, build consensus, and contribute to achieving balanced and meaningful outcomes.