The Global Youth Summit for Biodiversity 

COP 17 Green Zone 

 National Polytechnic University of Armenia - Yerevan, Armenia

17 - 18 October 2026 

The 2026 Global Youth Summit for Biodiversity is being jointly convened by the COP17 Armenian Presidency ,  the Youth Organizations Union of Armenia and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), in collaboration with the CBD Secretariat. The Summit aims to highlight youth as important implementers of biodiversity action to achieve the KMGBF, unite youth voices, strengthen participants' understanding of biodiversity policy, and equip them for meaningful engagement throughout COP17.

Held over two days in the  National Polytechnic University of Armenia , the Summit "for youth by youth" will bring together hundreds of young people from around the world and  Armenia to build their capacities to engage in biodiversity processes and implementation, amplifying their narratives, and fostering an inclusive, pluricultural, and intersectional space for sharing knowledge and experiences in biodiversity management and conservation. It will include intergenerational panels, working sessions and interactive activities. It will be held in English with interpretation into Armenian, Spanish and French.  

Open to all youth, including COP17 participants, the Summit will support the development of mapping youth contributions and voluntary commitments for CBD and KMGBF implementation. It will prepare their youth representatives to participate in COP 17 spaces where they will join intergenerational dialogues with government delegates, representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities, women's groups, other groups of civil society and sub-national governments, private sector and exchange perspectives, discuss priorities, and build relationships to advance biodiversity action beyond COP17.