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WHY COP17 MATTERS:�ARMENIA’S NEW GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ROLE

Alen G Amirkhaninan

Director, AUA Acopian Center for the Environment

American University of Armenia

ASOF 2026

5th Annual Conference

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Armenia is hosting the

17th Conference of Parties (COP17) of the

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

October 19-30, 2026

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Estimated 8-9 million species

Catalogued 1.2 million species only

6% of the 1.2 million catalogued species is threatened*

Baseline

(before industrial revolution)

1-9 species per year

Begin of 21st century

900 species per year

During 21st century

9,000 species per year

Loss of biodiversity**

Sources: (*)From https://www.iucnredlist.org/. IUCN Red List version 2025-1: Table 1b Last updated: 27 March 2025. (**) “A Safe Operating Space for Humanity,” Nature 461, 472-475(24 September 2009) by Johan Rockström, Will Steffen, Kevin Noone, Åsa Persson, F. Stuart Chapin, III, Eric F. Lambin, Timothy M. Lenton, Marten Scheffer, Carl Folke, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Björn Nykvist, Cynthia A. de Wit, Terry Hughes, Sander van der Leeuw, Henning Rodhe, Sverker Sörlin, Peter K. Snyder, Robert Costanza, Uno Svedin, Malin Falkenmark, Louise Karlberg, Robert W. Corell, Victoria J. Fabry, James Hansen, Brian Walker, Diana Liverman, Katherine Richardson, Paul Crutzen & Jonathan A. Foley

Note: Threatened species are those listed as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU)

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Overexploitation (e.g., overfishing)

Habitat destruction & fragmentation

Invasive

species

Harmful

chemicals

Illicit harvest and poaching

Main causes today

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Biodiversity Hotspots

Source: Conservation International

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Armenia has catalogued

27,000 species of animals, plants, and fungi

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640 of them endemic

Source: Catalogued and endemic species counts from Armenia’s NBSAP 2015. Data on butterflies, birds, and birds of prey from various sources.

350 in Armenia

900 in Europe

Birds

215 in Armenia

470 in Europe

Butterflies

35 in Armenia

30 in the U.S.

Birds of Prey

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International (global and regional) biodiversity-related agreements

Sources: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/international-cooperation/multilateral-environmental-agreements-meas_en and others

Conventions, Protocols, and Agreements

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  • Convention on Biological Diversity - CBD (1992)
    1. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2003)
    2. Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits arising from their Utilization (2010)

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  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora - CITES (1973)

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  • Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species - CMS (1979) [regional convention]

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  • Bern Convention on European Wildlife and Habitats (1979) [regional convention]

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  • International Tropical Timber Agreement - ITTA (1994)

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  • Agreement on the conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds - AEWA (1995)

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  • International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (2001)

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Policy Framework

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  • Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework - KMGBF (successor to Aichi Targets)

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Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

  • Adopted in 1992 at Rio Earth Summit

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  • 196 parties

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  • Three main objectives

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  • National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)

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  • National Reports

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CBD Governance

Armenia becomes the president of the COP in 2026 and will hold on to this position until the next COP in 2028

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CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP)

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PARTICIPANTS AND OBSERVERS TO THE COP

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THE COP PLATFORM

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ARMENIA’S PRESIDENCY OF CBD COP

https://youtu.be/qK0K2WYlnto

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THANK YOU

Contact info:

Alen Gasparian Amirkhanian

alen@aua.am

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AUA Acopian Center for the Environment

ace.aua.am

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