LocationsThe seventeeth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19-30 October 2026
CBD ‘Biodiversity’ COP17
August 10, 2026
Members of the Sanam Cooperative, Tsovak Community, Armenia.
UNDP Armenia
Event Details
October 19, 2026
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October 30, 2026
Yerevan, Armenia
What to know about Biodiversity COP17
Theme: Taking Action for Nature.
Official website: https://www.cbd.int/meetings/COP-17
CBD COP17 will focus on accelerating implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and translating global biodiversity targets into measurable national action. Negotiations and high-level discussions are expected to center on biodiversity finance, implementation support, monitoring and accountability, ecosystem restoration, protected and conserved areas, and equitable benefit-sharing from genetic resources.
The conference will also continue advancing work on Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ leadership, biodiversity mainstreaming across sectors, and stronger integration between biodiversity, climate and sustainable development agendas. Building on outcomes from CBD COP16 in Cali, COP17 is expected to place renewed emphasis on closing the biodiversity finance gap and strengthening implementation mechanisms for the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Why is Biodiversity COP17 so important
Biodiversity is the foundation of human prosperity. Yet biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation are interconnected crises, increasingly driving inequality, threatening security and undermining sustainable growth. At this Tri-COP moment, UNDP is bringing these agendas together around one central imperative: moving from negotiation to implementation and into an era of action.
Healthy ecosystems underpin food, water, health, livelihoods and economies. At the same time, climate change and land degradation are accelerating pressures on nature and the people who depend on it. When biodiversity protection, climate action and land restoration are pursued together—and backed by finance at scale—they can become powerful engines of resilience, equity and sustainable development.
CBD COP17 Events
UNDP AND PARTNERS’ OFFICIAL SIDE EVENTS IN THE COP17 BLUE ZONE
Coming soon.
What is at stake?
The world is facing an unprecedented biodiversity crisis, with ecosystems and species declining at rates that threaten food systems, water security, health, livelihoods and economic stability, and our capacity to take climate action. COP17 will be a critical moment to assess whether countries are on track to achieve the global goal of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
The credibility of the Global Biodiversity Framework will depend on whether governments, financial institutions and the private sector can mobilize the political will and investment needed to move from ambition to implementation. Without accelerated action, biodiversity loss will continue to undermine climate resilience, sustainable development and the well-being of communities worldwide.
For developing countries in particular, the availability of adequate and accessible biodiversity finance will remain a central issue, alongside questions of equity, implementation support and capacity-building.
What is UNDP’s role?
UNDP supports countries in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through its Nature Pledge, Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), ecosystem restoration work and integrated climate-nature-development programming across more than 140 countries.
At CBD COP17, UNDP will support countries in translating biodiversity commitments into national and subnational action, including through National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), biodiversity finance plans and nature-positive development pathways. UNDP will also help elevate practical solutions that connect biodiversity conservation with livelihoods, food systems, climate resilience and inclusive economic development.
Building on its leadership in biodiversity finance and integrated programming, UNDP will continue advocating for increased investment in nature, stronger alignment between public and private finance, and inclusive governance approaches that center Indigenous Peoples and local communities as custodians of biodiversity.
How it connects to the other two COPs
CBD COP17 serves as a critical bridge between the land, biodiversity and climate agendas under the three Rio Conventions. Biodiversity loss, land degradation and climate change are deeply interconnected crises that cannot be addressed in isolation.
The outcomes of CBD COP17 will help shape priorities heading into UNCCD COP17 and UNFCCC COP31, particularly around ecosystem restoration, nature finance, resilience and nature-based solutions. For UNDP, the conference represents a major opportunity to support countries in aligning biodiversity targets with climate and land commitments, enabling more coherent policies, more efficient financing and greater impact for people and planet.
One planet, one agenda: from biodiversity commitments to action
Biodiversity is the foundation of human prosperity. Yet biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation are interconnected crises, increasingly driving inequality, threatening security and undermining sustainable growth. At this Tri-COP moment, UNDP is bringing these agendas together around one central imperative: moving from negotiation to implementation and into an era of action.
Healthy ecosystems underpin food, water, health, livelihoods and economies. At the same time, climate change and land degradation are accelerating pressures on nature and the people who depend on it. When biodiversity protection, climate action and land restoration are pursued together—and backed by finance at scale—they can become powerful engines of resilience, equity and sustainable development.
As the UN’s development agency, UNDP connects global commitments with national priorities and local action. Across the Rio Conventions, we help governments translate ambition into integrated policies, institutions, investments and solutions that work in real-world contexts.
This means strengthening public finance, unlocking private investment and building the capacities needed for implementation. It means ensuring action is inclusive and locally led, working alongside Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and youth as partners and leaders in protecting nature and building resilient communities.
The Tri-COP agenda is an opportunity to turn commitments for nature into integrated action—for a healthy planet and a prosperous future for all.
