Drawing on the work of our federation in more than 70 countries and our collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) considers critical points in reviewing the Global Biodiversity Framework and its implementation. Special attention goes to key drivers of biodiversity loss which are not attended as well as the lack of implementation, and insufficient effective support for developing countries,

We will also discuss financing gaps and counterproductive instruments, challenges with mainstreaming biodiversity, the need to centre the important role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), and concerns about nature-based mechanisms.

Speakers: 

Theiva Lingam, Co-President of Friends of the Earth International

Nele Marien, International Coordinator for Forests and Biodiversity at Friends of the Earth International

lucas@foei.org

nele@foei.org

WWF will set out the test it will use to assess whether COP17 supports a credible course correction on implementation. The briefing will frame the main areas in which progress is needed and provide a reference point for WWF’s engagement throughout the Conference. The detailed emphasis will reflect developments entering COP17 and the availability of new substance or evidence.

Speakers: 

Rebecca Shaw;  Chief Scientist, WWF; Lead Author, Living Planet Report 2026

Guido Broekhoven;  Head, Multilateral Policy, WWF International

jchibuyi@wwfint.org

eackerley@wwfint.org

The Coalition of Action to Recover Endangered Species (CARES) is a government-led coalition focused on accelerating action to recover threatened species and support implementation of Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Coalition is co-chaired by Armenia and Colombia and supported by the Reverse the Red Action Partnership as Secretariat. The coalition is supported by technical, civil society and philanthropic partnerships.

Countries agreed to Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. It calls for urgent action to halt human-caused extinctions of known threatened species and reduce extinction risk. CARES brings governments together to raise ambition and accelerate action toward that goal. Participating countries can draw on species recovery expertise to identify species needing targeted help beyond habitat protection and pursue measurable progress by 2030.

Speakers: 

David Felipe Olarte Amaya, Vice Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development for the Republic of Colombia

Michael Clifford, Reverse the Red Strategy Director

Dr. Cristián Samper, Managing Director and Leader of Nature Solutions at the Bezos Earth Fund

megan.joyce@reversethered.org

rocio.lower@bezosearthfund.org

Faiths for Oceans will set out the key areas we are monitoring at CBD COP17: marine and coastal protection under 30x30, sustainable fisheries, finance that reaches coastal communities, and the rights and participation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and faith actors. Speakers will share how faith communities are already caring for the ocean through sacred stewardship, from our work at UNOC3 and in Mombasa to the Faiths High Ambition Coalition for Ocean and Nature Action. The press conference will close with a first look at The Moral Catch, a new report on moral responsibility in fisheries, ahead of its launch at the Ocean Pavilion on Thursday 22 October.

Speakers: 

Tariq Al-Olaimy, FutureFaith / Faiths for Oceans: Opens the press conference and sets out the areas we are monitoring at COP17, from 30x30 and fisheries to finance and rights. Also gives a first look at The Moral Catch and invites press to its launch on Thursday 22 October.

Amy Echeverria, Columban Missionaries: Speaks on ocean protection from a Catholic perspective.

Kamran Shezad, Bahu Trust: Offers an Islamic perspective on ocean stewardship and the faith responsibility to act.

Vijah Ramjattan, Founder, United Madrasi Association: Speaks on the importance of local voices, and on engaging communities in the lead-up to BBNJ COP1 in New York in January 2027.

Elise d'Epenoux, Faiths for Oceans: Introduces the Oceans Glossary, a shared ocean vocabulary for faith communities, ahead of its launch.

elise@oceans.faith

gopal@futurefaith.io

As COP17 opens in Yerevan, Armenia, the CBD Women's Caucus, with more than 900 members from around the world and diverse backgrounds, will set out its priorities and recommendations. 

COP17 must resolve a dense backlog of bracketed gender- and rights-based language across its agenda, including the global review of collective progress and the monitoring framework, resource mobilisation and the financial mechanism, the strategic review of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas, sustainable wildlife management and marine and coastal biodiversity, and the Nagoya Protocol. 

This COP represents a pivotal moment for women around the world, as the mid-term review of the Gender Plan of Action (2023–2030) will be adopted, and the decisions taken in Yerevan will shape whether gender justice is embedded in biodiversity governance for years to come.

Across the agenda, the Caucus will reiterate its call for concrete, accountable and gender-transformative decisions, and for women, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and youth to remain explicitly named and recognised as rights holders.

The CBD Women's Caucus will also introduce its full engagement for the two weeks ahead, including key events, as this COP is not only a technical negotiation; it is a political moment that will shape the legacy of the Framework, and only gender-transformative decisions can deliver the fair, just, equitable, and sustainable future it envisions.

communications@cbdwomenscaucus.org

coordination@cbdwomenscaucus.org

fjenner@forestpeoples.org

cbracegirdle@forestpeoples.org

The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) will hold a press conference to highlight the importance of ensuring the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the work of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

IIFB representatives will share their priorities and expectations for the modus operandi (working arrangements) of the Subsidiary Body, including how these arrangements can enable meaningful participation in its discussions and decision-making processes.

As IIFB marks 30 years of engagement in the Convention, the press conference will also highlight the significance of this development for Indigenous Peoples and local communities and the importance of translating longstanding commitments on participation into practice.

Speakers: 

Jennifer Corpuz

Viviana Figueroa

Joji Carino

Ramson Karmushu

KatieLee Riddle

ecila.mathew@gmail.com

kodi.winnie@gmail.com

Greenpeace International highlights the key areas governments must act on to move from commitments to implementation and prevent irreversible ecosystem collapse and biodiversity loss. At COP17, leaders must address gaps in the implementation of the KM-GBF with concrete action; close the biodiversity finance gap; ensure quality of 30x30, from forests to the high seas, by safeguarding ecosystem integrity and respecting rights; and maximise synergies between climate and biodiversity action.

Speakers: 

An Lambrechts, Biodiversity Politics Expert, Greenpeace International

Irene Wabiwa, Biodiversity Programme Manager, Greenpeace International

Camila Jardim, International Politics Specialist, Greenpeace Brazil

Laura Caicedo, Campaign Coordinator, Greenpeace Andino

dgonzaga@greenpeace.org

jaqueline.sordi@greenpeace.org

Armenia (COP17 Presidency) and Ethiopia (Climate COP32 Presidency) joining the Freshwater Challenge - country-led initiative that is the world's largest freshwater restoration and protection initiative. These two countries will take membership to 56 and the EU. Other countries could also sign up in time to announce their membership during the press conference.

The press conference will also announce progress under the Freshwater Challenge, including countries setting ambitious targets (Brazil, South Africa) and GEF funds for river restoration in three countries (Brazil, Cambodia, Tanzania).

The press conference will precede an Official COP17 Side Event on scaling up the Freshwater Challenge.

Speakers: 

Coenraad Krijger, CEO of Wetlands International, representing the Core Partners of the Freshwater Challenge (CI, IUCN, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, TNC, UNCCD, UNEP, WWF & Wetlands Int)

GEF representative, to highlight US$5 million for river restoration projects under the Challenge

Richard.Lee@wetlands.org

ccolvin@wwfint.org

As the global community rallies to review the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF), small-scale fishers’ organizations and communities are building on their long history and successes in the protection and sustainable use of their marine and inland fisheries resources. This 30-minute press briefing will showcase emblematic contributions and challenges, demonstrating how an explicit human rights-based approach (HRBA) accelerates and guarantees the effective implementation of KMGBF Targets – specifically Targets 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23.

This press conference builds on the experiences and struggles of Indigenous Peoples, local and Afrodescendent small-scale fishing communities, bringing together efforts at the territorial level to defend their ways of life, cultural heritage, environmental and social resilience.

The SSF delegation press brief will:

Present evidence of the continuous active and knowledgeable participation of small-scale fishing communities in resource management and biodiversity protection in their marine territories of life. .

Share emblematic examples of how a human rights-based approach provides a powerful catalyst for achieving global biodiversity milestones.

Provide a direct platform for rights-holders, particularly fisherwomen and youth, to share their effective locally-led conservation strategies and challenges with the global press.

Speakers: 

Africa: Kwao Simon (Ghana SSF Leader)

Asia: Miriam Petalcorin (Philippines SSF Leader)

Mesoamérica: Ausencio Palacios (Panama SSF Leader)

South America: Flavio Londro (Brazil SSF Leader)

rrodriguez.icsf@gmail.com

Vivienne Solis-Rivera

As negotiations at CBD COP17 unfold, this press conference will examine what the emerging outcomes on the so-called “innovative schemes,” including biodiversity offsets and credits, mean for Indigenous peoples, local communities, women and youth, as well as for efforts to address the root causes of biodiversity and forest loss.

Civil society organizations and academic experts have raised serious concerns about the risks of biodiversity markets, including questions about their integrity and effectiveness in addressing the root causes of biodiversity loss and upholding human rights. Speakers will share evidence and perspectives on the implications of promoting, developing and using biodiversity offsets and credits as tools to mobilize biodiversity finance, and contrast these approaches with real solutions centered on rights-based, gender-responsive and Indigenous-led approaches. They will highlight practical alternatives for mobilising finance in ways that are equitable, effective and capable of driving transformative change.

The press conference will also provide an opportunity to discuss and respond to developments in the COP17 negotiations, including their implications for equity, rights and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Speakers: 

Valentina Figuera Martínez, Gender Justice and Forests Campaign Coordinator, Global Forest Coalition (GFC)

Mirna Fernández, Researcher, Third World Network (TWN)

Uli Arta Siagian, WALHI National Campaign Coordinator

Pantori Tri Kuswardono, Executive Director of Yayasan Pikul-Indonesia

Heitor Delastra, Policy Co-coordinator, Global Biodiversity Youth Network (GYBN)  

Nele Mariën, Forests and Biodiversity Coordinator, Friends of the Earth International (FoEI)

ismail.wolff@globalforestcoalition.org

valentinafmartinez@globalforestcoalition.org

Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, local communities, and civil society leaders will present a joint call to CBD Parties to uphold commitments to rights, safeguards, and direct access to finance at COP17. Speakers will highlight provisions currently under negotiation that could weaken recognition of Indigenous and Traditional Territories as a conservation pathway; free, prior and informed consent; direct financing through the Cali Fund; women’s rights; and recognition of Afro-Descendant Peoples. The press conference will coincide with the delivery of a global open letter endorsed by organizations from around the world and will outline key priorities for ensuring COP17 advances, rather than weakens, implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Speakers

• Stanley Kimaren ole Riamit, Executive Director, Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners (ILEPA)
• Cindy Julianty, Executive Coordinator, Working Group ICCAs Indonesia (WGII)
• Cristiane Pankararu, President, Instituto Indigena Brasileiro para Propriedade Intelectual (INBRAPI)
• Miguel Pereira, Centro Cultural Pircayllus; and General Secretary, Coalición Internacional de Pueblos Afrodescendientes de América Latina y el Carib (CITAFRO)

Moderator

• Omaira Bolaños, Program Director, Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI)

tmartin@rightsandresources.org

tpaterson@rightsandresources.org

The All Party Parliamentary Group on International Conservation, a cross party group of UK parliamentarians committed to protecting global biodiversity, has completed a report examining the role of the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) in the UK's ability to meet its 30x30 commitments. The Report has found that the UKOTs play an indispensable role for UK biodiversity but also global ecosystems. Because of the unique constitutional nature of the UKOTs, these critical habitats are often unable to access international support to their work. The Report therefore calls on long term, consistent support from the UK Government towards the UKOTs, not only to meet its requirements under 30x30 but to preserve key areas of biodiversity that are of global importance. 

Speakers: 

Barry Gardiner MP- Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Conservation

Pippa Heylings MP- Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Environment, Energy and Net Zero

The Rt. Hon Lord Randall of Uxbridge: Vice Chair of the APPG on International Conservation 

Kerry McCarthy MP- Vice Chair of the APPG on International Conservation

The Rt. Hon. Dame Therese Coffey- former Deputy Prime Minister and Member of the APPG on International Conservation

skolenberg@internationalconservation.org

max.spokes@parliament.uk

Why does biodiversity keep being destroyed despite global efforts to protect it? The new report ‘We need to talk about the elephants in the room’’ argues that the crisis cannot be solved by closing the finance gap alone, but needs to address the real drivers at play.

The report analyses what’s missing from the global review – the elephants in the room which are the root causes of biodiversity destruction:

The financial trap: rules that force countries to dig, drill and clear to stay solvent

The money problem: far more finance destroys nature than protects it

The corporate veto: companies can sue governments for protecting nature

The false fix: markets and offsets that let destruction continue

Based on concrete cases from around the world, the authors of the report will explore the impacts of the biodiversity crisis and why the GBF can not succeed without addressing these drivers.

Speakers: 

Tom Picken, Forests & Finance Policy Director, Rainforest Action Network

Jessica Dempsey, Professor, University of British Columbia

Nele Marien, International Coordinator of the Forests and Biodiversity Program, Friends of the Earth International

Lim Li Ching,Senior Researcher, Third World Network

Mirna Inés Fernández Pradel, Researcher, Third World Network

lucas@foei.org

nele@foei.org

At CBD COP17, the World Federation for Animals will launch new practical policy guidance to support national implementation of the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Biodiversity and Health adopted under CBD decision 16/19. The guidance translates global commitments and actions from the Plan into a menu of practical policy options that governments can adapt to their national circumstances, including through national biodiversity strategies and action plans, One Health frameworks and relevant wildlife, agriculture, climate and health policies.

The guidance addresses wildlife protection and sustainable management, biodiversity–climate interlinkages, agricultural biodiversity and farm animal welfare. It demonstrates how animal health and welfare can strengthen biodiversity conservation, public health, resilient food systems and implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The guidance has been developed in consultation with technical reviewers involving University of College London, the World Organization for Animal Health, the Landscape Alliance (CIFOR-ICRAF), and selected Parties.

The press conference will introduce the guidance, highlight perspectives from government and technical partners, and invite countries to consider relevant policy measures for integration into national biodiversity strategies and action plans, One Health frameworks, national development plans and other relevant sectoral policies and planning processes.

Speakers: 
Jewel Omollo, Environmental Policy Officer, World Federation for Animals

Adeline Lerambert, International Policy Advisor, Born Free Foundation 

Dr Chadia Wannous, Head of the One Health & Global Frameworks Department, World Organisation for Animal Health

Mr Raphael Jozan, Agriculture Affairs Counsellor, representing the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, France

victoria.evans@wfa.org

noelia.iglesias@wfa.org

Drawing on various issues and perspectives, including the Indonesian Peoples’ Conservation Declaration adopted at the Peoples’ Conservation Summit in early September, the Secretariat of the Working Group ICCAs Indonesia plans to utilize the summit's outcomes as a foundation for advocacy and negotiation at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17 CBD) in 2026. This biennial conference will serve as a focal point for collective advocacy centered on the decolonization of conservation. This is an effort to dismantle the colonial paradigm wherein environmental protection frequently creates new mechanisms of exclusion against communities and their deeply rooted value systems, beliefs, and knowledge.

These core ideas frame the urgency outlined in the Indonesian Peoples’ Conservation Declaration, titled “Restoring the Earth, Upholding Justice: Returning Conservation to the Hands of the Communities.” The key aspects addressed include: first, the practice of fortress conservation, a model of nature protection that divorces human living spaces from the natural environment, reduces forests to mere standing timber commodities, and operates on the assumption that nature is an empty space or terra nullius. Second, the commodification and financialization of nature, which treats biodiversity and natural resources as mere financial assets or investments intended to benefit a select few. Third, epistemic decolonization, which demands that scientific, indigenous, and spiritual knowledge be recognized equally. Finally, meaningful recognition, emphasizing that the acknowledgment of the territories of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) must be fundamentally coupled with full political and legal authority.

Therefore, this press conference is designed to advance commitment from the national government while simultaneously reinforcing an advocacy and negotiation agenda rooted in the imperative of human rights-based conservation. 

Speakers: 

Cindy Julianty, Executive Coordinator of the Working Group ICCAs Indonesia/ICCA SEA Advocacy Coordinator

Marko Mahin, National Coordinator of the ICCA Custodian Network

Kasmita Widodo, Head of the Indigenous Territory Registration Agency

konservasirakyat@gmail.com

sekretariat.wgii@iccas.or.id

The Forests and Finance Coalition will be launching a major new report during the COP17 and would love the opportunity to introduce it to reporters via a panel of representatives from the groups who authored the research. The report, Regulating Finance for Biodiversity: An Assessment for the Global Biodiversity Framework, examines financial regulation in 11 jurisdictions that play major roles in financing forest-risk industries: Brazil, Canada, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, China, the European Union, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Speakers: 

Merel van der Mark - Forests and Finance Coalition Coordinator

Tom Picken - Senior Forest Campaigner with Rainforest Action Network

Jeff Conant - Senior Forest Campaigner with Friends of the Earth US

Laurel@ran.org

merel@ran.org

The Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), bringing diverse youth voices from around the world to the international policy arena, will present the key calls from youth as the world takes on the first Global Review of collective progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. They will share their assessment of current global progress, their recommendations for the COP17 negotiations, and the pathway forward for genuine transformative change on the ground.

Speakers: 

GYBN COP17 Policy Team

gybn.comms@gmail.com

gybnpolicy@gmail.com

TNFD and SBTN updated frameworks now available to help businesses and financial institutions to accelerate action for a nature-positive economy and society

Speakers: 

Marco Lambertini, Convener, Nature Positive Initiative

Tony Goldner, CEO, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

Ross Barton, Senior Manager, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, EY

Moderator - Gemma Parkes, Head of Communications, Nature Positive Initiative

gparkes@naturepositive.org

emccoy@naturepositive.org

The Global Mechanism for Biodiversity Finance (GMBF) sets the goal of achieving sufficient financial resources to close the US$700 billion annual biodiversity “financing gap” as one of its targets for 2050. Nature Bonds and monetizing migratory megafauna and charismatic species for nature markets are being hailed as key to bridging this financing gap. The hope is that putting a price on nature will save nature.

Speakers include Indigenous Peoples who have ancestral relationships with the species slated or already used for nature markets and will share their evaluations of whether credits, nature bonds and other financial instruments are the way to bridge the financing gap and how they may affect traditional knowledge systems recognized in Article 8(j) of the Convention.

Speakers also include civil society experts who have documented case studies on the impacts on environmental integrity and communities of projects with megafauna and charismatic species for nature markets. Evidence will be presented on whether these financial mechanisms address the root causes of biodiversity loss and generate the much-needed funding.

Coming towards the conclusion of the first week of COP17, the press conference will also provide an opportunity to evaluate the COP17 negotiations as they bear on the financialization of nature and traditional knowledge systems.

Speakers: 

Cassandra Smithies - Global Justice Ecology Project

Wilmer Lucitante - Friends of the Earth - Latin America and the Caribbean

Moderator Valentina Tereshkova - Global Forest Coalition

baad_eyes@yahoo.com

yambucito@gmail.com

As the world gathers at COP17 to advance action on nature and biodiversity protection, a new international alliance of health and conservation leaders is launching today to put nature at the heart of healthcare.

Created to meet demand from health professionals and organizations around the world for a convenor and accelerator of the nature prescribing movement, the International Nature Prescribing Alliance (INPA) is a physician-led organization with world-leading expertise in health, nature and biodiversity, social prescribing and sustainable healthcare. Through network building, curated resources and expert-led events, INPA aims to advance community and planetary health — one prescription at a time.

Some of INPA’s partners include The Wildlife Trusts (UK), NatureScot, Dutch Nature-Inclusive Collective, Italian Academy of Biophilia, Italian Society of Environmental Medicine, Park Rx America, PaRx, People and Parks Foundation (Australia), National University of Singapore Centre for Sustainable Medicine, Planetary Health Alliance, and Healthcare Without Harm.

The new Alliance builds on the success of Canada's nature prescription program, PaRx, an initiative of BC Parks Foundation that has mobilized over 22,000 regulated health professionals to issue over 2 million prescriptions for nature to people across Canada. Endorsed by over 100 major health organizations, including the Canadian Medical Association, and recognized by the World Health Organization, PaRx has put Canada on the map as a global leader in nature prescribing.

INPA is proud to be hosted by another leading charity in Canada, the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, Canada’s premier network dedicated to advancing environmentally sustainable health care.

Research indicates that nature prescribing is an effective way to improve mental and physical health, decreasing disease burden and the associated ecological footprint of the healthcare sector. It also shows that people across the lifespan engage in more pro-environmental behaviours when they are more connected to nature. Therefore, expanding nature prescribing globally — and at the same time, increasing urban greening and biodiversity conservation to improve nature access — is a uniquely powerful way to simultaneously improve community health, reduce healthcare system emissions, waste and pollution, and shift values in favour of nature conservation and sustainability. Every nature prescription has the potential to restore our connection to the land, build planetary health values and action, and improve our wellbeing.

Speakers: 

Moderator: Laurel Collins, Executive Director of the Raffi Foundation and former Canadian Parliamentarian

Dr. Melissa Lem, family physician and Founder of the International Nature Prescribing Alliance

Dr. Andrew Day, CEO, BC Parks Foundation

Leigh Morris, Director - International, The Wildlife Trusts (UK)

melissa.mp.lem@ubc.ca

laurel@raffifoundation.org

At the halfway point to 2030, there is a gap between conservation on paper and reality. A new global report found that nearly 61 million hectares of protected and conserved areas in the pantropics alone are overlapped by oil and gas blocks, and an additional 43 million hectares are overlapped by mining concessions at various stages of development. In too many places, key biodiversity areas remain unprotected, and Indigenous territories face growing threats. The report also spotlights proven pathways to high-integrity 30x30 implementation, including rights-based approaches that place Indigenous peoples and local communities at the center of stewardship, stronger safeguards against incompatible industrial activities, and policy shifts that align finance and development with nature. The findings of this report will be presented along with a direct call to Parties: Nature and biodiversity underpin global well-being, economic security, and cultural survival. Delivering Target 3 requires more than expanding the number of hectares on a map; it requires quality as well as quantity, ensuring conservation delivers durable outcomes in practice. 

Speakers:

Tyson Miller, Executive Director, Earth Insight

Dr. Andrew Plumptre, Head of the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) Secretariat

Dr Madhu Rao, Chair, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)

Juan Carlos Jintiach Arcos, Executive Secretary, Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC) 

shayna@ripplestrategies.com

anna@earth-insight.org

During the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), a side event focused on farmer-led ABS and community seed banks will be held in Yerevan, Armenia. Taking China's Aohan Community Seed Bank as its core case, the event centers on the Aohan model officially cited in China's Seventh National Report to the CBD, demonstrating how women and ecological smallholders, smallholder cooperatives and enterprises can join forces in landrace conservation, seed multiplication, production and market linkages to advance community development and sustainable livelihoods.

Rooted in the 8,000-year-old millet Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), the Aohan model is built on community collective ownership of landrace germplasm, standardized two-tier community Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedures, farmer-negotiated Mutually Agreed Terms (MATs), and conservation-oriented, transparent benefit-sharing arrangements that connect communities, governments, research institutions and local enterprises. This practice offers a replicable and scalable model for community-level ABS implementation for staple food landraces in China and across the Global South.

The side event will highlight the critical role of women and ecological smallholders in landrace conservation and community governance, and showcase the participation of smallholder cooperatives and enterprises in conservation, production and market development. Replication cases from Stone Village in Yunnan and Wangjingchuan in Hebei will be exchanged with Global South experiences including the Potato Park in Peru, CTDT in Zimbabwe and SEARICE in the Philippines, fostering South-South mutual learning and building a cross-continental practitioner network.

The side event will also launch the "Yerevan Declaration on Small-Scale Women Farmers for Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Use and Equal ABS," calling for strengthened institutional support, technical guidance and sustainable financing for community seed systems and localized ABS implementation, in order to advance community development and sustainable livelihoods.

Speakers: 

Dr. Yiching Song, Founder of Farmers' Seed Network (FSN, China)

Ms. Ruixiang Lu, Smallholder women (China)

The Markhor Award recognises outstanding conservation initiatives that demonstrate the contribution of sustainable use to biodiversity conservation, while supporting local communities and livelihoods. Presented biennially at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP), the 2026 Award will be presented during CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia.

Speakers: 

Arno Wimpffen – Director General, CIC

Shane Mahoney – President, CIC Policy and Law Division

Dilys Roe – Chair, IUCN SULi

Astrid Schomaker – Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

Award Winner 

t.paulic@cic-wildlife.org

m.arrieta@cic-wildlife.org

We will announce and celebrate the 2026 Reverse the Red Accelerator Award winners, recognising innovative projects that demonstrate leadership in species recovery through collaboration, measurable objectives and effective implementation. These projects showcase how targeted investment, partnership and strategic planning can accelerate recovery for threatened species while generating lessons that can be adapted across regions and taxa.

The Reverse the Red Species Pledge is a practical mechanism for supporting implementation of Target 4. The Species Pledge maps the conservation actions already being undertaken for individual species, helping practitioners identify opportunities for collaboration, connect with peers working on similar challenges, strengthen strategic planning, and develop recovery objectives that align with the intent of Target 4. 

The Accelerator Award supports the best species pledges that are rapidly improving the status of species. By making conservation efforts more visible and connected, the initiative enables organisations to share expertise, celebrate progress and build a growing global community committed to reversing species declines.

Speakers: 

Michael Clifford, Reverse the Red Strategy Director

megan.joyce@reversethered.org

michael.clifford@reversethered.org

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is the global standard for monitoring the risk status of the world’s ecosystems. At this press conference, IUCN will launch its new Red List of Coral Reef Ecosystems, identifying coral ecosystems at risk of collapse worldwide.

Speakers: 

Susanne Pedersen, Director, IUCN Centre for Science and Knowledge

Mishal Gudka, University of Melbourne

Emily Nicholson, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management & University of Melbourne

priscila.jordao@iucn.org

Leigh-Ann.Hurt@iucn.org

Rangers are almost entirely absent from official plans to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030, a paper has found – highlighting a glaring gap in countries’ abilities to deliver sustainable and effective nature protection. The text analysis of 45 macro-governance documents (high-level policy and governance documents) and 21 National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans found that references to “rangers” or equivalent terms were almost entirely absent, highlighting an oversight of the workforce needed to deliver sustainable and effective nature protection. Planning for area-based conservation targets without talking about rangers is like planning health targets without talking about doctors and nurses. Delivering 30x30 will depend heavily on effective area-based conservation. Rangers are a critical part of the workforce needed, supporting the establishment and effective management of protected and conserved areas, while working alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Yet, their role remains largely absent from official plans to reverse biodiversity loss. This is the first empirical baseline of ranger workforce visibility. We argue that by not recognising rangers international conventions risk creating aspirational targets without the framework for implementation. The report calls on governments and those shaping conservation policy to recognise rangers as essential workers, and ensure they have the funding, support and legal protection they need to do their jobs.

Speakers: 

Chantal Marijnissen: Head of Unit at DG International Partnerships European Commission

Valerie Hickey: Director of Environment, World Bank Group

Ministers of the Environment for Cambodia and/or Lebanon

Nik Sekhran: Chief Conservation Officer, World Wildlife Fund

Head of the Armenia Ranger Association

han@equilibriumresearch.com

rsingh@wwf.sg

The speakers will present an alternative picture to the progress towards achieving KMGBF Targets in Armenia drawing on specific cases. One of them is the mining project on Amulsar Mountain that has drawn strong criticism since the 2010s from the public in Armenia and internationally.

Just one week before the opening of CBD COP17, the government of Armenia took part in a ceremony of launching the mining project. It has long been claimed that this project violates the CBD, the Bern Convention, and local legislation. The area is a candidate Emerald site; there is extensive scientific evidence documenting its adverse impacts; local communities have fought against the project for years and have been subjected to numerous forms of reprisals. In 2025, Armenia’s Administrative Court ruled that the project’s environmental impact assessment had not been properly conducted, as a result of which some of the mining licenses lost their validity, overall making mining in the site impossible. The ruling has been appealed and is not enforced yet.

The speakers will also draw on systemic obstacles standing in the way of biodiversity conservation in general, such as weakened legal and political opportunities for local communities to protect their environment from polluting and harmful industries; low enforcement of regulations; streamlining finances elsewhere; prioritization of business interests, biodiversity offsetting schemes etc.

Speakers: 

Levon Galstyan (geographer, environmental activist represented through Green Armenia NGO)

Anna Shahnazaryan (environmental activist represented through Green Armenia NGO)

Andrey Ralev (Cee Bankwatch Network, Biodiversity Campaigner)

annashahnazaryan@gmail.com

trchkan@gmail.com

This press conference will explore how good mining governance can integrate responsible mining practices with stronger safeguards for biodiversity and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). It will highlight the importance of robust regulations, transparent decision-making, corporate accountability, and meaningful community participation in ensuring that mining activities do not come at the expense of ecosystems, Indigenous territories, and local livelihoods.

The discussion will emphasize the importance of restricted area maps as a governance tool to identify and protect ecologically sensitive areas, biodiversity hotspots, small islands, and Indigenous and community-managed territories from the harmful impacts of mining. It will also bring field-based perspectives from Kabaena and Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia highlighting the environmental and social impacts of nickel mining on local communities, their livelihoods, and surrounding ecosystems.

By connecting policy recommendations with realities on the ground, the press conference aims to identify concrete actions that governments, mining companies, and other stakeholders must take to strengthen responsible mining governance, protect biodiversity, respect community rights, and ensure accountability throughout the mining lifecycle.

Speakers: 

Jasmine Putri - Senior Advisor Supply Chain Critical Minerals Rainforest Foundation Norway 
Restu Diantina - Communications Manager Satya Bumi 
Francisca Stuardo Vidal - Partnerships Lead for Latin America and The Caribbean at Global Witness

restu@satyabumi.org

jasmine@rainforest.no

Common Ground: Faith Partnerships for Nature shows how faith communities and other CBD constituencies are already working together to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework. It starts from a simple idea: biodiversity is sustained through relationships, and its recovery will depend on them too. Faith leaders will speak alongside representatives of other CBD constituencies to share the partnerships behind the report's seven case studies, from community-led forest monitoring in Cambodia to youth and multilateral collaborations. The focus will be on what comes next: the six pathways the report sets out for closer cooperation between constituencies, and what governments and partners can do to scale them up after COP17.

Speakers: 

Gopal Patel, FutureFaith: Opens and moderates. Explains why relationships are central to delivering the GBF, and presents the report's seven case studies and six pathways for collaboration going forward.

elise@oceans.faith

gopal@futurefaith.io

No biodiversity, no future: Faiths United in action for COP17 to protect Life. 

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) must move from commitments to action through ambitious targets, adequate financing, and transparent accountability. Achieving its goals requires addressing the root causes of biodiversity loss identified by the IPBES, including disconnection from nature, unequal power structures, and short-term thinking, while fostering transformative change rooted in interconnectedness, inclusive governance, and economic systems that serve both nature and equity. This holistic approach, linking biodiversity restoration, climate adaptation, and justice, depends on meaningful partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, youth, and faith-based organizations. Lasting change will require not only policy reforms but also a deeper shift in values toward reciprocity, responsibility, and solidarity with both nature and future generations.

elise@oceans.faith

gopal@futurefaith.io

Speakers: 

Liu Wenhui, Senior Engineer, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences

Wang Ying, Chairperson, HSBC Philanthropic Foundation

Li Hao, Safety & Environmental Protection Specialist, JCET Group Co., Ltd.

ny123321@sina.com

acefgjb@sina.com

One of the ways through which the EU provides strategic support for biodiversity is through funding projects that aim to provide robust scientific evidence and connect these results to policymaking. Initiatives such as CO-OP4CBD, BioAgora, RESPIN, Biodiversa+ and NetworkNature aim to provide strategic support to the biodiversity science-policy interface through developing and supporting key processes that aim to improve the connection between researchers and policymakers. This press conference aims to explore our results, our successes and challenges we have faced along the way of taking efficient action for nature through strengtening the science-policy interface.

Speakers: 

Nathalie Morata, Yves Zinngrebe, Lars Dienesen, Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki, Daniela Rizzi

a.korcheva@pensoft.net

constance.laureau@fondationbiodiversite.fr

Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) is a cross-cutting principle underpinning Section C of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), which is to be understood, acted upon, implemented, reported, and evaluated, consistent with a number of key considerations and requirements, including a HRBA and a whole-of-society approach. However, the Global Report tells us that we are off track in achieving the framework's goals and targets, with both ambition and implementation gaps that need to be addressed. It further indicates that “there has been uneven progress on issues related to rights and equity, equitable governance, and participation of rights holders and other actors."

In this context, efforts to accelerate implementation and address gaps, challenges, and barriers, including in accessing means of implementation, need to be framed with more attention and grounded in stronger application of HRBA and whole-of-society approaches. Outcome of the Global Review should prioritize further developing inclusive, rights-based and gender-responsive approaches to support accelerated and more effective implementation of the Framework.

This includes recognizing rights holders as partners in implementation, promoting and ensuring full, equitable, inclusive, effective, and gender-responsive participation and representation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, youth, persons with disabilities, people of African descent embodying traditional lifestyles, and other relevant stakeholders in implementation, biodiversity-related policy, and decision-making to achieve the 2030 mission.

Speakers: 

CBD constituencies, including representatives of the various caucuses, and members of the Human Rights and Biodiversity Working Group.

anacarolina.marciano@su.se

shrutiajit16@gmail.com

SEARICE, Tebtebba, PIK-P and SwedBio organised a two day Multi-Actor Dialogue: “Exploring Opportunities for Cross-Sector Collaboration for Philippines Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) Implementation across the Biodiversity–Climate–Agri-food and Human Rights Nexus” on June 30 – July 1, 2026 in Tagaytay City, Philippines.

The PBSAP 2024-2040 has been officially submitted, and various government agencies are finalizing their implementation plans. Ensuring a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to biodiversity conservation is crucial in this context. With the aim to promote synergies and collaboration across sectors and agencies to enhance understanding of the vital link between biodiversity, sustainable agri-food systems, climate resilience, and human rights-based approaches (HRBA), the dialogue gathered 53 representatives from government and UN agencies, Indigenous peoples, farmers and fisherfolk and civil society organizations to to explore inclusive collaboration.

The dialogue aimed to co-develop actionable recommendations to strengthen the integrated implementation of the PBSAP 2024-2040. Amongst other things, discussions highlighted the importance of inclusive participation, Indigenous and local knowledge systems, policy coherence, and stronger partnerships in advancing the implementation of the PBSAP. The dialogue also created new connections and opportunities for continued collaboration among participants – central for turning national commitments into lasting impact through continued cross sector dialogue.

In this press conference additional outcomes of the dialogue will be presented along with the world´s first Indigenous Peoples’ Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IPBSAP) of the Philippines and next steps to be taken to ensure cross-sector collaboration when implementing the PBSAP.

About the organisers:

SwedBio - a Swedish based biodiversity programme at Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, funded by Sida, collaborating with partner organizations across policy and practice around the world.

TEBTEBBA - Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education is an indigenous peoples’ organization born out of the need for heightened advocacy to have the rights of indigenous peoples respected, protected and fulfilled worldwide.

SEARICE - is a regional NGO that empowers farming communities across Southeast Asia to advance sustainable agri-food systems through agroecology, agricultural biodiversity conservation, and rights-based policy advocacy for a just agri-food system.

PIKP - Partners for Indigenous Knowledge Philippines, Inc. (PIKP) is a learning network based in Baguio City in the Philippines working to promote and strengthen indigenous peoples’ knowledge and their contributions to cultural and biological diversity through documentation, research, intergenerational transmission, community development, networking and national and international engagement and policy advocacy.

Speakers: 

Normita Ignacio, Executive Director of SEARICE

Marilyn Dela Torre, Forest Management and Wildlife Specialist, TEBTEBBA

Jill Cariño, coordinator of PIKP

nori_ignacio@searice.org.ph

jillcarino@gmail.com

COP17 in Yerevan is expected to address a number of critical issues for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), including biodiversity finance, Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS), Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), harmful incentives and subsidies, and the rights and participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

This press conference will highlight key decisions that civil society should watch at COP17, what they mean for biodiversity governance and implementation in Indonesia, and what remains unresolved. The discussion will also look ahead to Indonesia’s potential role as host of COP18 and the opportunities and responsibilities this could bring for advancing an inclusive and effective biodiversity agenda.

Speakers: 

Giorgio Budi Indrarto (Deputy Director, Yayasan MADANI Berkelanjutan)

Linda Rosalina (Executive Director, TuK Indonesia)

yosi@madaniberkelanjutan.id

giorgio@madaniberkelanjutan.id

Rapid industrial expansion, oil and gas extraction, and mining across Russia's North, Siberia, and the Far East severely disrupt Indigenous communities. These developments fracture traditional livelihoods like reindeer herding and fishing, degrade fragile ecosystems, and bypass meaningful local consent or legal protections.

Indigenous speakers will talks about these challenges and are open for questions from the media.

Speakers: 

Olga Kostrova, Chulym Nation representative, Indigenous rights activist

Vyacheslav Shadrin, Chairperson of the Yukaghir Council of Elders

Vyacheslav Krechetov, Russian documentary filmmaker, journalist, and environmental activist

Rodion Sulyandziga, Udege Nation representative, The Centre for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North (CSIPN)

most198609@gmail.com

arinawadul@proton.me

Based on case studies from the member groups of the Friends of the Earth International federation, the press conference will explore the gap between the biodiversity protection pledges and their actual impacts on communities and their territories.


The conference will spotlight the cases of the Martabe gold mine in Indonesia, the petrol contamination by Texaco/Chevron in Northern Ecuador and the GAAVI plantation in Bukidnon, Philippines.

Through these different testimonies, we will identify recurring patterns in the destruction of biodiversity, with significant investment or commercial interest being the main driver.

Speakers: 

Nele Marien - Forests and Biodiversity coordinator at Friends of the Earth International

Leon Dulce - Campaigner at Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center / Friends of the Earth Indonesia

Wilmer Lucitante - Executive Coordinator of UDAPT / Friends of the Earth Ecuador

Uli Siagian - Campaign coordinator at WALHI / Friends of the Earth Indonesia

lucas@foei.org

nele@foei.org

This English-language briefing will bring together the launch of a 2026 collection of Chinese corporate biodiversity cases and practical experiences from power infrastructure and urban nature education. It will explore how business action, digital tools and public engagement can support biodiversity conservation and inform implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Proposed contributions:

1. Launch of the 2026 Chinese corporate biodiversity case collection, presented by GoldenBee Think Tank, sharing examples of how Chinese businesses engage in biodiversity conservation.

2. Giving infrastructure an ecological navigator: State Grid Zhejiang Construction Company and State Grid Linhai Power Supply Company will jointly share practices using digital and intelligent approaches to support biodiversity protection in power transmission and transformation projects.

3. AI-assisted species identification and themed, story-based park activities: a lightweight nature education model implemented in dozens of urban parks across five cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, connecting species identification with participatory learning. Presenting organization to be confirmed.

As negotiations unfold at CBD COP17, this high-level press briefing will bring together leading ocean advocates, Indigenous representatives and policy experts to provide an update on the key developments shaping the global ocean agenda and the decisions needed to accelerate action.

Speakers will share the latest insights from the COP17 negotiations, including progress on the implementation of global biodiversity commitments, ocean conservation priorities and the role of finance, governance and Indigenous leadership in delivering meaningful results.

The briefing will also present new findings from the Ocean Protection Gap and Global 30x30 Assessment, examining progress towards protecting and conserving 30% of the ocean by 2030, alongside a new global call to action urging governments to accelerate delivery.

Discussions will explore wider developments across the ocean agenda, including implementation of the High Seas Treaty, ocean-climate action, biodiversity finance and international cooperation, highlighting the opportunities for governments to strengthen ambition and translate commitments into tangible outcomes.

Journalists will have the opportunity to hear directly from leading voices on what is emerging from the negotiations, where greater political leadership is needed and what to watch as COP17 progresses.

fortheocean@greenhouse.agency

jenny.briggs@greenhouse.agency

As the global community is not on track to reach the KMGBF targets, we shall remind that three decades of biodiversity targets have not enabled to reverse biodiversity loss, not for lack of ambition, but because they left the deeper causes of biodiversity loss aside.

Following the Forum on advancing solutions to underlying causes of biodiversity loss to be held at COP14 from October 19th until 25th, SNAP Québec will launch a new initiative dedicated to the transformation of our economic model and our value system in order to successfully implement the KMGBF and live in harmony with nature.

Speakers: 

Alain Branchaud, Executive director, SNAP Québec

Ana Maria Hernandez Salgar, Tranformative change advisor, SNAP Québec

alice@snapquebec.org

marion@snapquebec.org

jchibuyi@wwfint.org

eackerley@wwfint.org

The press conference will present the next phase of the For Nature Coalition of States, launched during the UN General Assembly to advance international dialogue and cooperation toward recognising the Rights of Nature, including a potential Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature.

At COP17, participating States and partners will outline how the coalition intends to carry this work forward and broaden engagement with governments, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant and local communities, youth, women, civil society, and other partners. The press conference will also launch a civil society coalition to ensure that diverse voices and expertise contribute throughout the process and invite organizations and allies to join.

The discussion will link this initiative to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 19(f) and its recognition of Mother Earth-centric actions and non-market approaches, including rights-based and ecocentric approaches. Speakers will highlight the opportunity to strengthen the visibility, implementation, and monitoring of these approaches within the global biodiversity framework.

Speakers:

Hon. Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of Environment, Panama

Hon. Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua, Prime Minister of Tonga (also Minister for Environment, Meteorology, Energy, Communications and Climate Change)

Callie Veelenturf Founder, forNature founder and Director and National Geographic Explorer

Nathalia Greene, GARN Director

Xiomara Acevedo Navarro, Campaign Strategist, forNature / Executive Director, Fundación Barranquilla+20

Indigenous, afrodescendant, campesino Representatives

callie@fornature.org

xiomara@fornature.org

A group of like-minded organizations, with the support from Friends of the Earth and Third World Network, are launching a series of factsheets exposing the devastating impact of corporate sectors on global biodiversity. From the fossil fuel industry and industrial agriculture to the financial sector that funds biodiversity destruction, these sectors are driving species extinction, ecosystem collapse, and climate crises. Their devastating impacts are felt more strongly by the communities who depend the most on nature, particularly in the Global South.

This press conference will highlight:

Key findings from the factsheets on how corporate activities accelerate biodiversity loss.

Case studies from vulnerable regions most affected by corporate greed.

-Calls for systemic change, including stronger regulations, corporate accountability, and support for community-led conservation.

Join us to uncover the truth, demand accountability, and advocate for a future where people and nature thrive—not corporations.

Speakers: 

Mirna Ines Fernandez Pradel - Researcher, Third World Network

Nele Marien - Forest and Biodiversity Coordinator, Friends of the Earth International

Merel van der Mark - Coordinator, Forests & Finance Coalition

Jeff Conant - Deputy Director of food, forests and finance, Friends of the Earth US

mirna@twnetwork.org

nele@foei.org

callum.heckstallsmith@sotoraglobal.com

Nodo LANDATA will present its collaborative approach to biodiversity research and territorial knowledge mobilization in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The press conference will share how scientific data and knowledge developed with local communities can inform biodiversity governance and public decisions in natural desert ecosystems. It will also highlight the need to give natural deserts greater visibility in international biodiversity discussions.

Speakers: 

Dra. Cecilia Demergasso- Nodo Landata Director, Universidad Católica del Norte; MsC

Ximena Retamal – Communications and Engagement Coordinator, Nodo LANDATA, Universidad Católica del Norte

Dr. Marco Méndez – Researcher, Universidad de Chile

Sabrina Marín – Researcher, Nodo LANDATA, Universidad Católica del Norte

ximena.retamal@ce.ucn.cl

mmendez@uchile.cl

At CBD COP17, Global Canopy will release new data showing that nature loss could put millions of jobs in Europe at risk. 

This is the latest data from the ENCORE Insights: Country Dashboard, which quantifies how far countries’ economies are potentially at risk from nature degradation. This release will reveal how nature loss could put jobs at risk, threaten exports and put pressure on living standards in key economies in Europe. 

Launched in December 2025, the dashboard provides free quantitative data that enables central banks, governments and financial institutions to pinpoint how much of this nature-related risk originates at home compared with abroad. It already shows that the economic production of each country across the EU, UK and Switzerland has a multi-billion euro - and in some cases trillion-euro - exposure to financial risk from nature loss. The new data release will further build the picture of how countries’ economic health is tied to the health of nature both at home and abroad.  

This data is vital to help governments, public authorities and central banks to understand the potential impacts of nature degradation for their countries' economies, which sectors are likely to be most affected, and the natural systems and processes that are most critical. The new evidence can directly inform the decisions made to manage inflation, regulate the financial sector and support long term economic stability. 

Speakers: 

Dr Claudia Gray, Director of Nature-Related Finance at Global Canopy

Alexandra Pinzon-Torres - Nature Positive Lead, Global Canopy

Other speakers TBC

d.mckenzie@globalcanopy.org

l.bell@globalcanopy.org

In France, "Sections de commune" are important, collectively owned, community-managed territories that preserve cultural heritage and promote biodiversity at zero cost to the state. Driven by the cultural and livelihood practices of local communities, these areas sustain old growth forests, support sustainable agriculture, and provide essential services ranging from clean water to local employment and social cohesion. Ultimately, they stand as a powerful model of local democracy and grassroots resilience, filling critical management gaps while enriching both the environment and society.

Speakers: 

Olivier Hymas Dr., Researcher

Antoine Scherer, Conservation Practitioner

bertram.zagema@oxfamnovib.nl

arju@iccaconsortium.org

Indigenous Peoples and local communities are already leading and governing conservation initiatives across forests, oceans and other ecosystems. CBD COP17 is an opportunity for governments to strengthen a human rights-based approach to 30x30, including recognition of Indigenous and Traditional Territories, secure tenure rights, meaningful participation, FPIC and support for community-led conservation.

The press conference brings this debate out of the negotiating rooms through first-hand perspectives from Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities representatives, showing what rights-based conservation looks like in practice, where current approaches are falling short, and what governments need to deliver at COP17.

Speakers: 

Khairiyah Rahmanyah, young environmental advocate and communicator from Chana, Songkhla Province in southern Thailand

Ronisel Mambrasar, Indigenous community leader and environmental defender from Manyaifun Village in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua

Uncle Sol, Indigenous Leader from Hawaii

Inara Eaty, deputy coordinator of COIAB, the Coordination of Indigenous Organisations of the Brazilian Amazon

Nichanan Tanthanawit, Global Project lead for Ocean Justice Campaign, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Thailand

dgonzaga@greenpeace.org

jsordi@greenpeace.org

Conflict and insecurity are undermining implementation but the Global Biodiversity Framework says nothing about peace or security. As governments start treating ecosystem collapse as a threat to national security, experts will explain how we should frame the relationship between nature, peace and security to avoid policies that ignore or exacerbate the root causes of biodiversity loss. They will also present practical tools for making conservation conflict-sensitive, and reflect on what the post-2030 agenda should include.

Speakers: 

Sudha Kottillil and Shruthi Kottillil, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, Peace and Conflict Working Group of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)
Sushil Raj, Executive Director, Rights and Communities Global Program, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Doug Weir, Director, Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS)

aericksonpearson@gmail.com

gybn.comms@gmail.com

Signing ceremony: Somalia joins the Global Biodiversity Information Facility as a Voting Participant

Somalia joins GBIF as a Voting Participant

East Africa republic becomes the network’s 71st national member

The Federal Republic of Somalia has joined GBIF as an Voting Participant with the signing of the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding at the Convention on Biological Diversity's COP17 meeting in Yerevan, Armenia. Abdirashid Artan, Director of Biodiversity, Wildlife and Forestry at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, joined GBIF Executive Secretary Joe Miller to confirm the country’s new commitments within the GBIF network.

Speakers: 

Abdirashid Artan, Director of Biodiversity, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Joe Miller, Executive Secretary, GBIF Secretariat

Kyle Copas, Head of Advancement and Communications, GBIF Secretariat

kcopas@gbif.org

jmiller@gbif.org

Ministers from Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation (ACF) member countries — Sierra Leone, Brazil, Norway and Cambodia — will release a joint statement and action snapshot, 'Food Systems for Nature: Closing the Implementation Gap', outlining ways to accelerate delivery of global biodiversity targets at COP17.

Speakers: 

Jiwoh Abdulai, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Sierra Leone. 

Ms. Carina Pimenta, National Secretary for Bioeconomy, Brazil. 

Mr. Le Minh Tuan, diplomat and representative, Department of International Cooperation under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Moderated by Emma Williams, head of secretariat, Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation.

r.lovett@cgiar.org

Chloe.thompson@greenhouse.agency

kamila.yanczyk@gmail.com

At the halfway point to 2030, countries must move past commitments and coverage statistics to what exemplary implementation of Target 3 looks like on the ground — protecting the right places, in the right way, while advancing livelihoods, economic resilience, and long-term prosperity. Drawing on the newly released Global Review, countries are ready to step up and pursue the ambitious implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Speakers will spotlight their commitment to implement Target 3 on the road to the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress in Panama, exemplifying genuine leadership. Government representatives, the CBD community, and technical experts will make the case that high-integrity conservation is not a cost to development but a driver of it, and call on Parties to demonstrate that the Framework is producing concrete political action, not just procedural progress.

Speakers: 
Parties to the COP

WCPA

Earth Insight

shayna@ripplestrategies.com

juanpablo.eu@earth-insight.org

Most debates and processes around the Cali Fund completely focus on money in, certification associated with it, money out and the reporting and governance of money out. But are we overlooking the most fundamental questions: whose rights are protected, who is accountable, and do the communities whose genetic resources and knowledge underpin scientific innovation actually benefit? The following are key questions to be asked and answered:

•⁠ ⁠Are we losing sight of the fact that the Cali Fund is only the financial component of the CBD’s broader Multilateral Mechanism for the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits from the Use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on Genetic Resources?
•⁠ ⁠Why is so little attention given to who is sequencing genetic resources, and how the resulting DSI is made publicly available?
•⁠ ⁠Do public databases undermine community rights and national sovereignty by making DSI anonymously and freely accessible in the name of open access? 
•⁠ ⁠What happens to prior informed consent, mutually agreed terms, local R&D in the country or origin, and local enterprise of Indigenous Peoples and local communities? 

In short, what happens to the sovereign rights of developing countries and their peoples' right to self-determination regarding their biological resources, when governments and stakeholders focus almost exclusively on money in and money out?

Speakers: 

Daudi Manongi, Alliance for Food Sovereignty Africa, Tanzania
Prof. Gustavo Soldati, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil
Katie Lee Riddle, Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust, New Zealand
Theiva Lingam, Friends of Earth Malaysia
Nithin Ramakrishnan, Third World Network

directornithin@gmail.com

theiva.lingam@gmail.com

With COP17 entering its final negotiations, WWF and other civil society organisations will press ministers to resolve the critical issues still on the table.

Ministers must agree on credible biodiversity finance that reaches countries and communities, clear accountability and follow-up to the Global Review, and concrete measures to align national budgets, policies and investments with biodiversity commitments.

The press conference will make clear what is at stake in the remaining negotiations and what ministers must deliver in Yerevan to put the Global Biodiversity Framework back on track for 2030.

Speakers: 

Daudi Sumba, Chief Conservation Officer, WWF International
Guido Broekhoven, Interim Global Director of Multilateral Policy at WWF International 
Pauli Merriman, Interim Senior Director, Oceans, WWF International
Vishaish Uppal, Director of Governance, Law and Policy at WWF-India[JC2.1]
Celine Beaulieu, Head of Public Sector Partnerships, WWF International

jchibuyi@wwfint.org

eackerley@wwfint.org

gybn.comms@gmail.com

gybn.policy@gmail.com

Press point for Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy and Christopher O’Sullivan, Ireland’s Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity

Speakers: 

Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy

Christopher O’Sullivan, Ireland’s Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity

Anahit.Azatyan@eeas.europa.eu

Hannah.hamilton@housing.gov.ie

Greenpeace International is holding a press conference to provide an overview of the state of the negotiations on the eve of the official last day of the COP, with a particular focus on key topics that are currently stuck and what countries must do to unlock them.

Will countries land a deal to correct course and achieve the targets of the KM-GBF, or will they continue to drag their feet and risk our future on the planet?

Speakers: 

An Lambrechts, Biodiversity Politics Expert, Greenpeace International

Bonaventure Bondo, Congo Basin Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa

Camila Jardim, International Politics Specialist, Greenpeace Brazil

Fajri Fadhillah, Senior Regional Campaign Strategist, Greenpeace Southeast Asia

dgonzaga@greenpeace.org

jsordi@greenpeace.org

WWF will explain what the emerging COP17 outcome means for global biodiversity action what moves forward, what may still require attention, and what comes next. The assessment will reflect the latest negotiated text available at the time.

Speakers: 

Rebecca Shaw - Chief Scientist, WWF International Lead Author, Living Planet Report 2026

Guido Broekhoven-Head, Multilateral Policy, WWF International

jchibuyi@wwfint.org

eackerley@wwfint.org