“We owe a debt to nature”: Leaders’ summit at COP17 in Armenia
Leaders’ summit at COP17 in Armenia
A summit under the slogan “Leaders for Nature” is taking place in Armenia as part of the COP17 conference. Up to 15,000 participants from 196 countries are expected to attend the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
According to the organisers, representatives of governments, international organisations and civil society will gather from 19 to 30 October to “assess humanity’s progress in conserving biodiversity and discuss further joint steps”.
The leaders’ summit was opened by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who stressed that hosting the conference was a great honour for Armenia. He expressed hope that it would “be productive and contribute to protecting our planet’s biodiversity”.
“We – the citizens of Armenia, the government, state authorities and local governments – owe a debt to our nature,” the prime minister said.
He noted that the international community had already developed the concept of “living in harmony with nature” and adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022, setting out goals and specific targets to be achieved by 2030.
“We are halfway towards achieving these goals, and we must honestly acknowledge that we are not yet moving in the right direction. Our task now is not to make new promises, but to fulfil the commitments we have already made,” Nikol Pashinyan said.
The COP17 conference is expected to adopt a declaration at leaders’ level. More than 30 documents are scheduled for discussion. If approved, the commitments set out in them will become legally binding on countries that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
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Pashinyan: “Nature saved us in difficult times”
According to the prime minister, Armenia has a special responsibility towards nature because, during difficult times for the country, “it saved us, and we had the misfortune of abusing it”.
In particular, he referred to:
- Widespread deforestation (“In the early 1990s, the country faced an energy and socio-economic crisis. Amid electricity and gas outages and shortages of petroleum products and coal, people heated their homes using wood-burning stoves”);
- Poaching, including illegal fishing in Lake Sevan;
- Cases of illegal exploitation of natural resources.
Pashinyan said that after becoming prime minister in 2018, he decided to put an end to illegal logging. The government also took steps to protect fish stocks in Lake Sevan, including introducing fishing regulations and establishing a water police force.
“And the results are clear. Over the past 10 years, the total stock (biomass) of whitefish in Lake Sevan has increased more than tenfold. From just a few hundred tonnes during the crisis of the mid-2010s, when the species was effectively on the brink of extinction, we have reached more than 4,500 tonnes as of July 2026,” he stressed.
At the same time, the prime minister acknowledged that violations continued despite the progress made. To address the problem, an environmental patrol service was established two years ago. It is already operating in four of the country’s 10 regions.
“The task of this service is to ensure round-the-clock environmental protection. We intend to continue developing it, both in terms of technical equipment and the scale of its operations, as well as the professionalism and integrity of its staff,”Pashinyan said.
UN Secretary-General: “We will inevitably face serious challenges”
António Guterres stressed that tackling three crises – climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution – had become one of his main priorities as UN Secretary-General.
Guterres believes that humanity must unite and work together to protect nature:
“Water, air and soil are gifts of biodiversity that we all benefit from every day. However, climate change, the uncontrolled use of pesticides, heavy metal pollution, biodiversity loss and climate chaos are now putting these resources at risk.”
In his view, humanity will inevitably face serious challenges unless action is taken.
He also believes that previously adopted agreements alone are not enough to address these challenges. According to the UN Secretary-General, both state institutions and civil society must be involved in implementing them:
“The participation of young people and the involvement of women are extremely important. By placing knowledge at the heart of biodiversity efforts, we will be able to effectively manage the most powerful artificial intelligence systems.”
Speeches by leaders of neighbouring countries
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian:
“Wars do not only cause human casualties and destroy infrastructure. They also lead to the destruction of forests, fertile soils, wetlands and water resources. Moreover, the use of weapons releases hazardous chemicals and heavy metals into the environment.
The destruction of the natural environment is a direct consequence of war. This problem poses a serious threat to the well-being of future generations in our region, including in Iran.
The environmental consequences of military aggression require urgent action by the international community.
The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran is causing severe damage to the country’s ecosystems.
We expect the international community to establish effective and transparent mechanisms to protect our natural heritage and biodiversity. No state should ever be allowed to turn nature into a silent and defenceless victim of war.”
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze:
“Georgia’s natural heritage continues to play an important role in the country’s economic and social development. Healthy ecosystems and sustainable agriculture help preserve water resources, attract tourists and create opportunities for small businesses to grow and develop.
Protecting them is therefore not merely an environmental responsibility, but an investment in improving economic competitiveness, creating jobs and ensuring long-term prosperity.
The shared ecosystems of the South Caucasus provide a foundation for closer regional cooperation and sustainable development.
Georgia is committed to working with its neighbours to protect this shared natural heritage.”
Turkey‘s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumaklı, also attended the leaders’ summit, although he was not among the speakers. There have been no reports of representatives from Azerbaijan arriving in Yerevan.
