Yerevan will welcome delegates from around the world for the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from October 19 to 30, the largest international event Armenia has ever hosted.
For 12 days, governments from nearly 200 countries will meet alongside scientists, international institutions, civil society, and Indigenous representatives. A Leaders’ Summit will precede the conference, bringing heads of state and government along with the leaders of international organizations, and is expected to adopt the “Yerevan Declaration for the Preservation of Life on Earth.”
What is COP17?
COP17 is the biennial meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity, where countries assess progress, negotiate decisions, and coordinate international action to protect biodiversity.
COP17 will host the first global review of collective progress on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its 23 action targets, adopted in 2022. The focus shifts from commitments made to evidence of what has actually been achieved.
Why Biodiversity?
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms, and the ecosystems they form.
Its importance reaches directly into daily life. Biodiversity supports food systems, water security, healthy ecosystems, climate resilience, livelihoods, and quality of life. The COP17 communication framework is built around turning those connections into practical action across communities, schools, businesses, institutions, and public life.
Why Armenia?
Armenia represents just 6.7 percent of the Caucasus by area, yet contains approximately 60 percent of the region’s biodiversity. The country is home to more than 3,500 plant species, including 144 endemic species, along with 379 bird species, more than 200 butterfly species, and 75 mammal species.
The country also includes 42 mountain ranges, 250 lakes, 9,500 rivers, and 27 reserves, placing Armenia within one of the world’s most biodiverse and threatened ecoregions. Hosting COP17 gives Armenia an opportunity to connect that local ecological richness to a global biodiversity agenda.
From Commitment To Action
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework established 23 global targets. COP17 will be the point where governments and institutions begin measuring delivery against those commitments and assessing whether progress toward 2030 is on track.
The conference’s communication framework centers on “Taking Action for Nature,” with an emphasis on measurable progress and participation across society, from individuals and communities to businesses, universities, public officials, and international institutions.
A Global Conference With a Local Footprint
COP17 will place Yerevan in the middle of a global conversation, but much of its impact will depend on what happens outside the negotiating rooms.
The negotiations will take place in the Blue Zone at the Meridian Expo and Event Center on Voskerichneri Street, open only to accredited participants.
The Green Zone, at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, will be open to the public. Programming is aimed at youth, scientists, businesses, public officials, academic institutions, and local communities, with action taking place in cities, schools, ecosystems, and digital spaces.
Registrations for booth reservations, the cultural program, and session bookings for the Green Zone are available on the official Green Zone Yerevan website.
Armenia’s COP17 Symbol Has a Story
The visual identity of COP17 is inspired by Polyommatus eriwanensis, a butterfly found only in and around Yerevan. Its 23 colors correspond to the 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Framework. The species was selected to reflect sensitivity to habitat change, resilience, and the idea that biodiversity begins locally before becoming a global issue.
The butterfly is listed as Endangered in Armenia’s Red Book of Animals and appears on neither the global nor the European IUCN Red Lists. The Ministry of Environment built the wider identity around the butterfly’s life cycle, from egg and larva to pupa and adult.
The Road to COP17 Begins Now
Preparation for COP17 will continue through the months before delegates arrive in Yerevan, across public awareness, scientific engagement, business participation, youth involvement, and community action.
Zartonk Media will follow Armenia’s Road to COP17 through news coverage, interviews, explainers, and stories from across the country, giving our audience a closer look at the conference and the people shaping Armenia’s role in the global biodiversity agenda.
