Ceremonial Opening, UN Convention on Biodiversity - COP 17

Foreign Language. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the official opening, ceremonial opening of the COP 17.

Welcome to Yerevan COP17.

Distinguished delegates, representatives of international organizations, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Armenia and to the inauguration ceremony of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yerevan and the COP17. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the national anthem of the Republic of Armenia.

Arkanjume, asataanka, hayastan. Aamen, ainper, ma, mi, ma, mi, ma, mi, ma, mi, ma. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, my on.

Armenia welcomes the world to the inauguration ceremony of COP17, to a land where biodiversity has shaped both the landscape and the human story. Mountains have defined horizons, rivers have traced paths, and the changing seasons have given rhythm to life. Across generations, Biodiversity has left its imprint on the ways people live, the memories they carry, and the heritage they preserve. That imprint endures, connecting the past to the future and reminding us that the story of humanity is inseparable from the story of biodiversity.

Biodiversity is a chain that runs from life to life. Because in nature, everything leaves its mark. And each mark leads to the next, on and on without end. Nature leaves marks on itself, from a shard of stone to mountains, from a drop of water to seas, from deserts to vast forests. Everything is the work of constant change. Nature leaves its mark on the way we live, even on our character and our fate. Water decides where we settle. Soil and wind decide how we build. Heat and cold decide how we endure. In time, this becomes habit. Habit becomes a way of life, and a way of life becomes character. And a single shift can change the course of an entire community. Nature is part of who we are. People come to resemble the land around them. Next to the marks of nature are other marks, ours. The mark we leave is the road, the garden, the bridge, the city. But it is also the felled forest, the empty land, the polluted air and water. Some marks bring good, others bring loss. And the losses are growing, putting biodiversity at risk. How do we create without destroying? The path COP17 sets out on begins at Armenia and will cross the whole world. Leaving its mark on the long road from conflict with nature to reconciliation. COP17 is where the world acts together to leave a positive mark on nature and on the future. COP17, Yerevan, Armenia. Taking action for nature.

Armenia is the land where biodiversity has shaped not only the landscape, but also the human story. Across generations, nature has inspired the way people live, create, and preserve their traditions. This connection finds expression in Armenian culture, in music, movement, craftsmanship, and art.

Mother Nature. People have called her that for a long time, in language after language. Why? Because she feeds us. Not the body alone, but the heart and the spirit with it. In trying to know her, we built a world of our own, but never apart from her. Nature is in our culture, stone and script, thread and song. All of it is the second life of Armenian nature. It's where we came to know ourselves and where we found the forms our thoughts and feelings could take. Our temples follow the quiet lines of the mountains, almost extending them. Some are carved into the rock itself and become part of it. Our letters come to life as if setting out on a long journey. our manuscripts, we shaped them into birds, marking the flight of the mind and the reach of knowledge. The beauty of nature, its colors, its perfect lines, we wove into our carpets. And so we brought nature into our homes and surrounded ourselves with its images. In our songs, the nightingale is the voice of love, the quail is the bride, and the crane is the one that carries our longing. Our dances have set the strength of the mountains in motion. Our way to great dreams, we built like a wall going up, stone upon stone. And the will it took, and the struggle, we struck out with our palms like rams in combat. way of seeing was born of Mother Nature. Our mind and our spirit still draw their strength from her. Nature is in our culture.

Culture carries the memory of nature, giving it new forms of expression across generations. We now look back at the key moments of the COP17 Leaders' Summit held in Armenia on 16th of October.

We are particularly honored to have you all here together in Ireland. Biodiversity must be part of every decision being made.

Welcome to the Republic of Armenia. Welcome to the Leaders for Nature Summit, which is taking place. point of the COP17 summit.

Thank you very much for the warm welcome we are enjoying and for the excellent organization of the summit and of the COP. I thank the government of Armenia for hosting this vital summit and for sharing with us the wonders of the Caucasus.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, we now begin the official addresses of the inauguration ceremony. The floor is given to His Excellency, Mr. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

Excellencies, distinguished representatives of the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great and warmth that I welcome you all to Yerevan. Welcome to the UN Conference on Biological Diversity. Today, Yerevan is becoming a center of global dialogue and shared responsibility. Biodiversity is not just the wealth of nature. It is one of the foundations of our life, health, food and water security, sustainable development and the well-being of future generations. The state of nature directly affects people's lives, and the disruption of ecosystems can exacerbate the many challenges facing our societies, which require a combination of scientific bases, political will, international cooperation and broad public participation. The Republic of Armenia, too, assumes her responsibility in this common cause. Our natural heritage, from Lake Sevan to our forests and mountain ecosystems, remind us that nature conservation requires continuous efforts, responsible management, and long-term thinking. Honorable guests, Armenia views the presidency of COP17 as an opportunity to unite the efforts of the international community and direct them towards practical and tangible results. Our goal is to accelerate the implementation of existing commitments, create new opportunities for cooperation, and make the contribution of each country and each partner more effective for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. For generations, we have built our economies and cities on the basis of the assumption that nature is an endless resource that we can manage and ultimately fully subjugate. But that is not how nature works. Floods that inundate settlements and fires that destroy forests, the ongoing degradation of ecosystems and the disappearance of species remind us of one fundamental truth. human well-being and the health of ecosystems are inseparable. Guided by this conviction, Armenia brought together leaders and representatives of different sectors of society in Yerevan ahead of COP17 to forge a shared vision and to reinforce our common commitment. conservation of biodiversity must remain among the priorities of the political agenda, and the commitments undertaken must be expressed in concrete steps and tangible results. Today, we bring this message to COP17, ready to translate it to joint action and reaffirming our determination to move from commitments to their full implementation. In the meantime, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the COP17 Organizational and Implementation Committee, which brought together the efforts of the Armenian Government, local governments, civil society, and other stakeholders in order to make this important conference possible. I highly appreciate the joint and persistent efforts of the Republic of Romania Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs and International Trade. their dedication, their close cooperation in organizing this conference. I express my profound gratitude to the COP17 Secretariat for the cooperation and for enormous efforts that enabled us to come together in Yerevan. ready to take the next step for conservation of biodiversity and implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. I wish also to express my gratitude to all of you, distinguished delegates, representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities, members of the scientific community, women and youth, representatives of civil society, business and financial circles, for the trust you have shown in Armenia and for your willingness to share this important milestone in the history of the Convention with us and for your willingness to build together. Over the years, the international community has built a strong foundation for cooperation and shared responsibility for the conservation of biodiversity. Today, we have a clear vision, a clear global vision for conserving nature and living in harmony with it. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022 sets out our shared goals and the roadmap for achieving them. Now is the time to translate that vision into action. With just four years to go until 2030, our success depends on how persistently we can translate our commitments into concrete actions, and actions into measurable results. This is the core mission of the Yerevan Conference. To jointly assess the progress made, to identify the remaining gaps, and to agree upon priority actions that will allow us to move forward more consistently and more effectively, turning our commitments into real change. Today we have reached a crucial milestone on the road to 2030. We know what results we have achieved and what progress we have made, but we also recognize that there is still a significant gap between our ambitions and their implementation. It is at this stage that leadership takes on special significance and make Yerevan be remembered not only as a place to take stock of the progress we have made, but also as the place where we reaffirmed our commitment and determination to fully implement our commitments, and the place where we charted a path that will ensure the accelerated implementation of the global framework by 2030. No government, however capable, can do this alone. We need governments willing to work together at all levels and in all sectors of the public administration. We need the cities and the communities. We need the indigenous peoples and the local communities. We need the women and the youth. We need the scientific community, business, and finance and civil society. Their engagement must not be limited to mere participation. They must be real partners in our common cause, agents of change and driving forces for action to protect biodiversity. It is with this conviction that Armenia assumes her responsibility, guided by the principles of transparency, inclusiveness and respect for each voice, as well as the realization that the true value of international cooperation is manifested when jointly undertaken commitments are put into practice. The journey to 2030 has begun. We have no more time to wait. Armenia stands ready to contribute fully to these common efforts and to work with each of you to ensure that the agreements reached in Yerevan become the basis for persistent action and lead to real, long-term results for the benefits of biodiversity, conservation, and restoration. May Yerevan become the place for new political determination. May this be the moment when we move from words to action and from fragmentation to collaboration. This means taking action for nature. With these words, I declare the 2026 UN Conference on Biodiversity, the COP17, and the proceedings, the meetings of the conventions, protocols, to be opened. Thank you.

Please welcome His Excellency Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.

Honorable Mr. Prime Minister, Honorable President of the National Assembly, Dear Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Armenia for the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. We meet against the background of profound changes in international relations, geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and competing national priorities are placing increasing pressure on international institutions and established mechanisms of cooperation. In these circumstances, the relevance of the United Nations, other respective international institutions, and the principles of multilateralism provide the framework within which states, regardless of their resources, capabilities, or political differences, can engage on an equal footing, reconcile divergent interests, and pursue common objectives. For Armenia, effective multilateralism is an important element of our foreign policy. We attach particular importance to sovereign equality, inclusive dialogue, and the ability of international institutions to respond to the needs and priorities of their members. The Convention on Biological Diversity represents an important example of such cooperation. Its achievements over more than three decades demonstrate the capacity of states to establish common objectives while accommodating diverse national circumstances. The adoption of the Kunming-Morley Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 was a significant collective achievement. The task now is to ensure that the undertaken commitments are matched by sustained engagement and practical implementation. COP17, particularly through the first global review of collective progress, offers an opportunity to consider how the international community is meeting this responsibility. Armenia's decision to host COP17 and, moreover, to hold the Leaders' Summit on Biodiversity reflects our commitment to contributing actively to these international processes and assuming the responsibilities that accompany them. For Armenia, the protection of biodiversity is also a matter of direct national relevance. Our country's varied landscapes and ecosystems are an important part of our natural heritage and require responsible protection and preservation. hosting COP17 provides an opportunity to connect this national responsibility with our contribution to the global effort to protect and restore nature. Excellencies, we have approached the preparations for this conference with the understanding that the presidency carries both institutional and diplomatic responsibilities. We see the presidency not as an end in itself, but as an opportunity to help parties build trust, bridge differences and advance a common agenda. We hope that the dialogue we will continue to facilitate throughout the Conference and the upcoming two years presidency will contribute to adopting decisions that take into account the interests of all parties and advance our shared objectives. We will be guided by impartiality, inclusiveness and respect for the intergovernmental character of the Convention. who recognize that the presidency's role is to facilitate negotiations and help identify areas and convergence, while decisions and respective actions on substantive matters remain the collective responsibility of the parties. Excellencies, the importance of biodiversity on the international agenda extends well beyond environmental protection. biodiversity, climate change, food security and sustainable development are closely interconnected. Decisions taken in one area increasingly have implications for others, creating both opportunities and challenges for national policies and international cooperation. This calls for closer coordination across these areas and greater attention to their interconnections in implementing our commitments. Ladies and gentlemen, we look forward to working with you in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation with the shared objective of achieving meaningful outcomes at the conference. Concluding, I thank all delegations and participants for joining us in Yerevan, wishing you successful deliberations and a pleasant stay in Armenia. Thank you.

Please welcome Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Dear Prime Minister Pashinyan, President of the National Assembly, Minister Misoian, COP and COP-MOP President-designate, Matvosyan, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear friends. Welcome to Yerevan on behalf of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is an honor to be with you tonight. On behalf of the Secretariat, I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to you personally, Mr. Prime Minister, and to the entire government and people of Armenia for the tremendous efforts made in hosting the 2026 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, as well as the Leaders for Nature Summit earlier this week. With Armenia's legendary hospitality on full display, anybody who has been here for even just a few hours will have experienced the warmth of your welcome, the kindness of your people, and your determination to make the world feel at home here in Yerevan for the next two weeks. Thank you. Armenia's investment into the substantive and logistical preparation of our conference has been significant. You are calling on us to take action for nature. Thousands of people have heeded your call and have traveled to Armenia. They are united by a commitment to do just that, making this an action-oriented conference. A conference that demonstrates that multilateralism does work, that commitments made are commitments honored, and that amidst geopolitical tensions and an accelerating triple planetary crisis, there is hope. This is an important responsibility. By organizing the Leaders for Nature Summit, the first in the history of our convention, Armenia has been providing strong support to this endeavor. For that as well, we thank you. The assembled leaders identified biodiversity loss as one of the major challenges of our time. But they also said that addressing it, and I quote, "presents an unprecedented opportunity to transform humanity's relationship with nature and build a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future." Accordingly, they issued a strong call that we use the next two weeks to come together and translate commitments into concrete action, stronger partnerships, and accelerated implementation. And you may hear in a moment at least one such partnership was created on the spot. This is what gives us hope. And let me quote the United Nations Secretary-General, who, reflecting on the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, was very clear. In his words, "It doesn't have to be this way." It doesn't have to be this way. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, as we get ready to take action for nature, we have a very useful tool at our disposal. the Global Report on Collective Progress in the Implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Thanks to the many inputs received, I acknowledge the excellent response rate to the seventh national report exercise. And thanks to that, we know where we are. We know where the gaps are. Our meeting here is about closing them. This is the action we need. The global review of progress that will take place in the coming days will be pivotal. We look forward to seeing the COP17 presidency exercise its leadership and vision to chart a pathway for swifter and more impactful biodiversity action around the globe. The Yerevan Pathway. Over the past two years, we at the CBD Secretariat have worked closely with the fully committed and excellent teams of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment. And like I believe all of you, we have been impressed by their personal commitment to our common purpose to halt and reverse global biodiversity loss. So huge thanks to the teams of both ministries for an outstanding and tireless mobilization in preparation for COP17 and the COP MOPS, including at international forum. They have devoted significant time and energy to consultations with us in the CBD Secretariat on the ambitious and demanding agenda before us. I thank them for their commitment to fostering the spirit of cooperation and compromise that will be essential to making progress towards 2030. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, organizing a COP of the CBD is no small feat. Armenia has risen to the challenge through outstanding dedication, coordination and hard work, much of which takes place behind the scenes. But I also wish to acknowledge my heartfelt appreciation to my own team at the CBD Secretariat and to the UN Resident Coordinator here on the ground, who has been rallying the entire UN system behind this conference. You have worked tirelessly, again, often behind the scenes, to bring this conference to life. I know how much hard work, long hours and personal effort have gone into making this conference possible. Once again, thank you Armenia for welcoming the world to Yerevan and providing everything delegates need to deliver a successful UN Biodiversity Conference. It is a success that the world sorely needs. Thank you.

Please welcome Mr. David Olarte Amaya, Vice Minister for Environmental Territorial Planning at Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, representing the President of COP16.

Your Excellency, Mr. Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Republic of Armenia. Your Excellency, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Your Excellency, Mr. Matevosyan, Minister of Environment of the Republic of Armenia. Mr. Atichumacher, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Thank you very much. Allow me to begin by extending our sincere congratulations to the government and the people of Armenia on the excellent organization of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, COP 17, and for the warm hospitality extended to all delegations. We wish you every success in the development of the agenda ahead, and Colombia stands ready to support your efforts. For Colombia, it is an honor to join Armenia in launching the CARES coalitions. CARES is built on clear conviction. Preventing extinction is not enough. We must move toward the recovery of species and their population in the wild. The vision is at the heart of Colombia ABC agenda, Patria Milagro. For Colombia, species recovery requires science and conservation, but also healthy ecosystems and communities actively engaged in protecting their territory. This purpose is also at the heart of the Target 4 of the coming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, moving from commitments to concrete actions for the recovery of 30 species. In Colombia, we are already putting this vision into practice. The Orinoco crocodile, Crocodylus intermedius, a critically endangered species, is one example. Colombia is strengthening efforts to restore the species through conservation, breeding, reintroduction, and monitoring. This experience demonstrates that species recovery is possible when science, institutions, international corporations, and local community work together. They also remind us that successful conservation goes beyond protecting individual species. It requires restoring the ecosystem and ecological conditions that allow them to thrive. Colombia is proud to advance in this effort together with Armenia. Our challenge is to move beyond commitments and deliver lasting recovery for threatened species, contributing to a future in which biodiversity is conserved, restored, and valued. Furthermore, we deeply acknowledge the private sector, whose resources and commitment are vital to scale these efforts. Their alignment with our goals ensure that ecological recovery is both economically viable and long-standing. CARES gives us an opportunity to turn ambition into action, and action into recovery. Together, we can bring the vision of living in harmony with nature closer to reality. Thank you very much.

Please welcome His Excellency, Mr. Humbert, some matter was a minister of environment of the Republic of Armenia, president designate of the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference, Cope 17.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Your Excellency, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Nikol Pashinyan, Excellency, President of the National Assembly, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, COP16 Presidency, heads of delegations, dear colleagues, representatives of the indigenous peoples and local communities, dear friends, barikalyusayastan, welcome to Armenia. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your encouraging words and for so warmly welcoming the world to Armenia. As I will deliver my formal remarks tomorrow, I'll be brief tonight. It's a real pleasure to see so many friends, colleagues, and partners gathered here in Yerevan. You have brought your ideas, your expectations, and your proposals, and, of course, quite a few square brackets. As a hospital nation, we welcome everyone with open arms. And over the past year, I've had the pleasure of meeting many of you in different parts of the world. And after so many journeys and meetings, it is wonderful to finally welcome you to our home. Tomorrow, I will formally take on responsibility of presiding over COP 17, MOP 12 and 6. And I'll do so with a deep sense of responsibility. but also with confidence in what we can achieve together. We may not agree on everything from the outset, and that is the nature of multilateral negotiations, and perhaps one of the reasons we need them. But with mutual respect, open dialogue, and a genuine willingness to listen, we can bridge our differences and make meaningful progress for biodiversity. Despite our different perspectives, we share one responsibility: to protect nature for the generations to come. As the COP17 presidency, Armenia has worked with partners on initiatives that turn shared goals into practical action. They spend biodiversity monitoring, mountain and freshwater ecosystems, conservation beyond protected areas, and incentives that work better for nature. They are not about new commitments, they are about delivering the ones we have already made. Tonight, together with Colombia, we'll celebrate the launch of CARES, the Coalition of Action to Recover Endangered Species. And 17 founding governments have joined to accelerate action on the target of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Behind our global targets are real species, and many such species urgently need our help. And we invite every party to join us. Ladies and gentlemen, And on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, you are invited to join us for a reception in the main building in front of the Armenian Pavilion. And we'll also have the pleasure of presenting a special welcoming performance at 7:30 p.m. Thank you very much.