YEREVAN, October 22, 2026 — Negotiations on biodiversity financing, Indigenous peoples’ rights, forest conservation, climate change and the implementation of global biodiversity targets intensified on the third day of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia.
Delegates worked to narrow differences over the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), as civil society organizations urged governments to translate international commitments into concrete action before the 2030 deadline.
Negotiations Focus on Finance and Implementation
Working Group II continued discussions on forest biodiversity and invasive alien species, while several contact groups addressed key elements of the global biodiversity agenda.
Negotiations covered the financial mechanism, capacity-building, biodiversity and climate change, marine and coastal ecosystems, biodiversity monitoring, digital sequence information (DSI), and the participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities.
Financing remained a major point of contention. Delegates discussed the role of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the operationalization of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and the need to mobilize additional resources for implementing national biodiversity commitments. Differences persisted over the scale of funding required and the responsibilities of developed countries.
Discussions on the proposed global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol also exposed divisions. Developing countries supported further work to address gaps in existing arrangements, particularly in transboundary situations, while some developed countries questioned the need for a new mechanism.
Negotiators also examined the Cali Fund and the sharing of benefits arising from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.
Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Under Spotlight
The participation and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities remained a central issue.
Discussions focused on arrangements for their representation in the Convention’s proposed subsidiary body on Article 8(j), which concerns traditional knowledge relevant to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.
Civil society representatives stressed that Indigenous peoples and local communities are essential guardians of biodiversity and must have meaningful participation in decisions affecting their territories and traditional knowledge.
Civil Society Calls for Stronger Commitments
At a press conference on biodiversity negotiations, Greenpeace representatives called on governments to close implementation and financing gaps, strengthen protections for Indigenous peoples and local communities, and ensure that national policies support rather than undermine biodiversity objectives.
Greenpeace also urged countries to deliver meaningful contributions to the Cali Fund, which is intended to share benefits arising from the commercial use of digital sequence information. The organization called for effective arrangements to recognize the rights and participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity governance.
Civil society representatives further emphasized that funding should reach communities working on the ground to protect ecosystems, with financial and technical support directed towards practical conservation efforts.
Concerns were also raised about the need to protect community land rights and ensure meaningful consent in decisions involving development and mineral extraction.
Climate and Nature Policies Need Coordination
The contact group on biodiversity and climate change considered voluntary guidelines for nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches, alongside a roadmap for cooperation among the Rio Conventions.
Although delegates broadly welcomed the proposals, disagreements remained over terminology, safeguards, carbon rights and the relationship between biodiversity decisions and the mandate of the UN climate convention.
The discussions highlighted the importance of coordinating climate and biodiversity policies while avoiding conflicting approaches.
A Critical Test for the 2030 Targets
COP17 is the first global review of collective progress towards the KMGBF, adopted in 2022 to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
The negotiations are intended to shape a proposed Yerevan Pathway to accelerate implementation during the remaining four years before the deadline.
The third day’s discussions demonstrated that progress will depend not only on stronger conservation commitments but also on resolving disputes over finance, accountability, technology cooperation and the rights of communities protecting nature.
With negotiations continuing across multiple working groups, governments face mounting pressure to turn the global biodiversity framework into measurable results on the ground.
