The 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is kicking off in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It will run from October 19 to October 30.

The event’s opening ceremony is now underway, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also in attendance. As a result of the Leaders' Summit on Biodiversity held on Friday, world leaders have adopted the Yerevan Declaration. It reaffirms countries’ political commitment to deepen international cooperation to restore ecosystems and protect nature.