COP17 is taking place as the international community steps up efforts to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
From 19 to 30 October, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) and related meetings are being held in Yerevan, Armenia, with the participation of representatives from 196 countries, international organizations, and other stakeholders.
The delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri, attends COP17 on biodiversity in Armenia. Photo: ICD.This forum offers an important opportunity for countries to assess progress on international commitments, identify implementation challenges and gaps, and advance solutions for nature conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity.
Held on 27–28 October, the High-Level Segment aimed to strengthen political commitment, promote dialogue among countries, and build consensus on outstanding issues in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The segment brought together approximately 1,500 delegates, including around 140 ministers and deputy ministers responsible for agriculture and the environment.
Discussions focused on key priorities, including accelerating progress towards the 2030 biodiversity targets, mobilizing financial resources, integrating biodiversity into development policies, reforming economic incentives that negatively affect nature, and promoting international cooperation.
At the High-Level Segment, Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri, head of the Vietnamese delegation, affirmed that biodiversity conservation and sustainable use are integral to sustainable development, human well-being, and people's livelihoods.
Viet Nam emphasised that achieving the ambitious biodiversity targets for 2030 requires not only strong national commitments but also their full implementation and close cooperation among the international community.
The Vietnamese delegation to COP17 is led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri. Photo: MAE delegation.The speech also highlighted Viet Nam’s efforts to translate the KMGBF targets into national targets, implement coordinated conservation measures, link biodiversity conservation with climate change response, and integrate biodiversity conservation objectives across sectors. Viet Nam proposed strengthening regional and international cooperation, sharing data, knowledge, and practical experience, mobilizing resources, and supporting countries in turning commitments into concrete action.
Through its message at the High-Level Segment (HLS), Viet Nam reaffirmed its readiness to work with countries and international partners to advance biodiversity conservation, contribute to global targets, and build a sustainable future for people and nature.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Vietnamese delegation met with Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to discuss the implementation of the Convention, COP17 priorities, and ways to strengthen cooperation between Viet Nam and the Secretariat.
The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the requirements for accelerating the implementation of the KMGBF, the need for technical support, the sharing of information and international experience, and measures to improve the effectiveness of biodiversity target implementation in Viet Nam. It also created further opportunities for dialogue and cooperation in nature and biodiversity conservation.
The Vietnamese delegation meets with Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Photo: ICD.In addition to meeting with the CBD Secretariat, bilateral contacts and sideline discussions gave the Vietnamese delegation opportunities to strengthen relations with partners, stay updated on the latest developments in negotiations, and exchange views on areas of mutual interest for cooperation. These activities contribute to Viet Nam’s proactive engagement in multilateral cooperation on the environment and biodiversity.
The main focus of negotiations at COP17 is to assess progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), advance solutions to achieve the 2030 biodiversity targets, and address outstanding issues related to finance, resource mobilisation, and benefit-sharing mechanisms arising from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources (DSI). The Parties are also focusing on reforming policies and subsidies that negatively affect biodiversity, conserving and restoring ecosystems, strengthening the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities, and improving mechanisms to support implementation of the Convention.
At CP-MOP12, negotiations focus on improving the effective implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, particularly assessing and managing risks associated with living modified organisms, strengthening monitoring, reporting, and compliance, refining technical guidance, and enhancing national capacity for biosafety management.
At NP-MOP6, the Parties are focusing on implementing the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization. Key issues include strengthening monitoring and compliance, improving mechanisms for access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing, and discussing ways to further study and develop a global multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing.
Viet Nam’s participation in COP17 reaffirms its commitment to nature conservation and biodiversity. Photo: MAE delegation.During the first week, the Parties adopted 14 decisions, including four under COP17, eight under the 12th Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CP-MOP12), and two under the sixth Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol (NP-MOP6). The decisions covered gender equality and biodiversity; information exchange; communication and education to raise awareness; control of invasive alien species; compliance, monitoring and reporting; and biosafety and access to genetic resources.
As the final week of negotiations begins, the Parties continue to focus on narrowing differences over biodiversity finance, the Convention’s financial mechanism, resources for the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), the benefit-sharing mechanism for digital sequence information (DSI), and the operations of the Cali Fund, established at COP16 in 2024 to share benefits arising from the commercial use of DSI. The meeting will also prioritize issues related to reforming economic incentives harmful to nature, assessing progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), and outstanding agenda items under the two Protocols.
The negotiation outcomes are expected to strengthen the basis for implementing international commitments, enhance resource mobilization, and promote concrete action to bridge the gap between commitments and implementation, with a view to achieving global biodiversity targets by 2030.