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Strengthening Media Collaboration for COP17 and Biodiversity ActionTogether with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenia COP17 Project, and other partners, a Chief Editors’ Meetup was organized, bringing together chief and deputy editors from around 50 leading media outlets in Armenia. The session aimed to strengthen media engagement around COP17 on Biodiversity, fostering collaboration and raising awareness on the importance of environmental reporting ahead of the global conference.  EU Green Week Workshop Highlights Armenia’s Path to Mainstreaming Biodiversity Ahead of COP17Under the initiative of EU Green Week, the European Union, in collaboration with UNEP, organized a workshop on “Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Armenia.” The event highlighted the importance of a whole-of-society approach to protecting biodiversity and the environment, especially as Armenia prepares for COP17 on Biodiversity. The workshop gathered a diverse group of stakeholders to exchange experiences, share knowledge, and explore opportunities for collaboration across key sectors - including food systems, water, health, youth and education, and tourism and nature-based economies.  Armenia Presents Updated Biodiversity and Climate Strategies for 2026-2035A working meeting on “Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change within the Framework of Coordination of National Strategies” was held, which was attended by the  Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schomaker, the Minister of Environment, Hambardzum Matevosyan, the UN Resident Coordinator, Francoise Jacob, the UNDP Resident Representative, Natia Natsvlishvili, representatives of government agencies, international organizations, and civil society.During the meeting, Armenia's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan were presented, as well as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) for the period 2026-2035.  Armenia Sets Path Towards COP17 on BiodiversityThe “Road to COP17” initiative was launched at the American University of Armenia (AUA), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, AUA’s Acopian Center for the Environment, and the Convention on Biological Diversity.This milestone marks a new stage in Armenia’s environmental policy and reaffirms the country’s commitment to global biodiversity goals. The event brought together government representatives, partners, academia, and youth, united by a shared vision for nature.   UN Armenia at Sevan Startup Summit 2025: Inspiring Action for a Sustainable FutureFrom 20-26 June, UN Armenia proudly joined forces with the Sevan Startup Summit 2025, the region’s flagship platform for innovation and entrepreneurship. Lake Sevan became a vibrant hub of ideas and solutions, where changemakers, founders, and young leaders came together to reimagine a sustainable future.Within the framework of the Sevan Startup Summit, the Greenovate Youth Summit brought together young changemakers to amplify youth engagement in global environmental efforts, especially in the lead-up to COP17 on Biodiversity.  HIF Yerevan 2025: Unlocking Sustainable Tourism as a Catalyst for Armenia’s Green TransitionOn June 18, Yerevan hosted the HIF Yerevan 2025 Investment Forum, bringing together business leaders from 14 countries to discuss transformative investment opportunities in Armenia’s hospitality sector.From hospitality ecosystem development to sustainable tourism, key topics included market trends, risk management, destination branding, and regional tourism clusters.  In her keynote speech, UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia, Francoise Jacob, stated that sustainable tourism can drive Armenia’s green transition, calling for action on eliminating single-use plastics, building sustainable food supply chains, and ensuring responsible waste and water management. With COP17 in 2026 on the horizon, Armenia has a powerful opportunity to share this story through a strong national biodiversity strategy. Yerevan Dialogue 2025 Highlights Urgent Action on Biodiversity and Information Integrity in the Climate CrisisHeld on 26-27 May, the Yerevan Dialogue 2025 brought together policymakers, civil society, and private sector leaders to address global challenges: In the panel “The Biodiversity Nexus: Reweaving the Earth’s Living Tapestry” RC underscored the systemic disconnect between ecology and economy that fuels both climate and biodiversity crises, and stressed biodiversity’s connection to food security, health, and economic stability, framing biodiversity loss as a complex global challenge requiring urgent action. As part of the Yerevan Dialogue, a closed-door session addressed information integrity on climate change and biodiversity. Head of the UN Information Center, Armine Petrosyan, presented the UN’s Global Initiative on Information Integrity on Climate Change, highlighting Armenia’s ambitions ahead of COP17 and Brazil’s vision for COP30. TEDxYerevan 2025: The Web of Life – A Resounding Success!On May 23, TEDxYerevan returned with an inspiring lineup centered around this year’s powerful theme: “The Web of Life.” As Armenia prepares to host COP17 in 2026, the conference spotlighted the urgent need to reconnect with nature and rethink our path toward a sustainable future. A standout moment was the talk by Francoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia. With over 30 years of global experience, Ms. Jacob delivered a compelling message: biodiversity is not only about saving species — it’s about protecting our health, economy, and way of life.She invited us to see biodiversity as the pulse of sustainable development — a vital force deeply entwined with human rights, peace, and resilience. Her vision reminded us that every organism, from microbes to predators, plays a role in sustaining life on Earth.Sustainable Development in Armenia: Bridging COP30 in Brazil and COP17 in ArmeniaA conference on Sustainable Development in Armenia was held in Yerevan, organized by the European Business Association. The event served as a strategic platform to engage key stakeholders ֊ including government representatives, international organizations, civil society, academia, private sector leaders, and youth advocates ֊ to accelerate progress on sustainable development both within Armenia and globally. “We believe that for Armenia, hosting COP17 is an opportunity to become a champion in biodiversity. With the government's leadership and support from all stakeholders, we can be confident in the success of this endeavor,” she stated.    Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Visits Armenia Ahead of COP17 Astrid Schomaker, the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, visited Armenia from March 3-7 to engage with Armenian officials about the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which will be hosted by Armenia in 2026.During her visit, Astrid Schomaker met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and Environment Minister Hakob Simidyan. Meetings and visits were organized with PM Pashinyan’s chief advisor Hambardzum Matevosyan, who serves as the head of the COP17 organizational steering committee. She also held discussions with the diplomatic corps and members of the Armenian civil society.  The meetings focused on the significance of COP17, the country’s needs, potential cooperation with international partners, and the next steps in the preparation process. Second Resumed Session of UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 16) The second resumed sessions of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the 11th meeting of the COP serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and the fifth meeting of the COP serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization will convene from 25-27 February 2025 in Rome, Italy. Armenia will host the next United Nations Biodiversity Conference COP17 Armenia is set to welcome the upcoming UN Biodiversity conference, reinforcing its commitment to global biodiversity conservation. Armenia was elected as the host country of the Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) On October 31, during the ongoing 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Armenia was elected as the host country of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).This election reaffirms the growing confidence of the international community towards Armenia` as an important stakeholder in global environmental processes. Armenia is entrusted the responsible mission of consolidating and promoting the international efforts under the Convention on Biodiversity to contribute to addressing current environmental challenges faced by the humanity.The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) will be held in Yerevan in 2026.