Dilijan, Armenia — On June 18, as part of the 2026 Annual Conference of the Armenian Society of Fellows (ASOF) held in Dilijan, Armenia, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Acopian Center for the Environment led a session dedicated to Armenia’s preparations for the upcoming 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17).
ASOF brings together leading Armenian and international scholars, researchers, and professionals to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and promote collaboration on issues of national and global importance. The inclusion of a biodiversity-focused session in this year’s conference emphasized the growing recognition of biodiversity conservation as a strategic priority for Armenia, particularly in light of the country’s upcoming role as host of CBD COP17 and its two-year tenure as the Convention’s presidency.
The session opened with remarks by Alen G. Amirkhanian, director of the AUA Acopian Center, providing participants with an overview of the global biodiversity crisis, major drivers of biodiversity loss, and the work of the Convention on biological diversity as the principal international framework guiding biodiversity conservation worldwide.
The discussion continued by Dr. Arsen Gasparyan, assistant professor at the Zaven P. and Sonia Akian College of Science and Engineering and biodiversity expert at the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment. Dr. Gasparyan introduced participants to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), adopted in 2022 as the global roadmap for halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. His presentation explored the framework’s four long-term goals and 23 global targets, highlighting their relevance for Armenia and the opportunities they present for advancing national biodiversity conservation efforts.
Representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Republic of Armenia, Dr. Davit Manukyan, counselor at the MFA’s department of Multilateral Policy and Development Cooperation, presented the country’s role, vision, and priorities in the lead-up to CBD COP17. He discussed the unique opportunities associated with Armenia’s role as host country and future president of the Convention, emphasizing the potential for strengthening international cooperation and demonstrating leadership in advancing the implementation of the KMGBF.
Participants also had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Lily Rodriguez, representing the Consortium of Scientific Partners of the CBD, where she drew from her extensive experience with previous COPs, and shared insights into the organization and impact of Science-Policy Forums held during earlier COP meetings. She highlighted the critical role of the scientific community in supporting evidence-based policymaking and outlined expectations and opportunities for scientific engagement during CBD COP17 in Yerevan.
The session concluded with an interactive panel discussion moderated by Amirkhanian, featuring Dr. Alla Aleksanyan, CBD COP17 senior consultant at World Wide Fund for Nature Armenia and head of department at the International Scientific-Educational Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Dr. Gasparyan, and Dr. Manukyan.
The panel explored opportunities and challenges of internationalizing Armenia’s environmental research and science, especially using CBD COP17 as an opportunity to accelerate the process and the broader implementation of the global biodiversity agenda. Discussions focused on strengthening the science-policy interface, increasing public awareness, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring that Armenian researchers, universities, and scientific institutions play an active role in shaping and supporting biodiversity action.
For a video recording of the session, visit here. The AUA Acopian Center’s collaboration with ASOF to organize this session was within the framework of the Road to COP17 Initiative, a joint effort by the AUA Acopian Center, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia, and the CBD Secretariat.
The AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, a research center of the American University of Armenia (AUA), promotes the protection and restoration of the natural environment through research, education, and community outreach. The AUA Acopian Center’s focus areas include sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity protection and conservation, greening the built environment, sustainable energy, as well as information technology and the environment. Visit http://ace.aua.am.
