YEREVAN, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- China has made significant contributions to advancing negotiations at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), from pre-conference dialogue in Kunming to the ongoing global review of collective progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), COP17 President Hambardzum Matevosyan told Xinhua.
Matevosyan said China has played a key role in the negotiations on and implementation of the KMGBF.
China chaired COP15, which was hosted by Canada, and facilitated the adoption of the KMGBF, one of the landmark global environmental agreements. Drawing on their experience, Chinese and Canadian colleagues can support the presidency in advancing progress on the global review, he said.
Matevosyan noted that the core task of COP17 is to complete the first global review of progress under the KMGBF and deliver on the Yerevan Pathway, shifting global efforts from pledges to tangible action to conserve nature.
"A majority of parties have submitted their national reports, laying an objective foundation for the assessment. Available evidence shows the world is far from reaching the 2030 targets," he said, noting that the first-ever global review of collective progress towards the KMGBF in Yerevan is of critical importance because it will clarify how close the world is to achieving its goals and identify implementation gaps.
Beyond the negotiations, China took the lead in establishing the Kunming Biodiversity Fund in 2021, contributing its own resources to help developing countries strengthen their conservation capacity. Officially launched in 2024, the fund offers new opportunities and helps turn decisions made at COP meetings into tangible results, he said.
Matevosyan said China and Armenia are already cooperating on national parks and protected areas.
"I had the honor of visiting China's Botanical Garden and China's Elephant Park during the Kunming Dialogue. My team and I met many scientists and specialist protected-area managers in China. We maintain excellent contact with the Chinese delegation, which has also visited Armenia's national parks," he said.
The success of COP17 will not end on Oct. 30, as Armenia will hold the COP presidency for another two years, he said.
He welcomed the Parties' strong willingness to advance work and their request for more time for negotiations. In the final stage of the conference, the presidency aims to produce a robust, objective global review.■
