Yerevan Pathway adopted at COP17 to accelerate biodiversity conservation actio

The Yerevan Pathway, adopted at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), is an important step towards accelerating the implementation of international biodiversity commitments and addressing existing gaps.

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said this at COP17’s closing press conference, outlining the conference’s main achievements and decisions.

She said the conference had delivered several significant outcomes at a time when the effectiveness of multilateral cooperation was frequently questioned.

“Extremely ambitious commitments were made four years ago. The report showed that we are not on the path needed to achieve the agreed goals. But the most remarkable thing is that the parties acknowledged this reality. Nobody tried to claim that we were on track or that the situation was not so bad. It was clearly acknowledged that we are falling behind on all 23 targets, with uneven progress in some areas,” Schomaker said.

She stressed that the assessment had been followed by a willingness to act. The parties had decided to take steps to accelerate progress on biodiversity conservation, paying particular attention to areas with the largest gaps.

In this context, the Executive Secretary highlighted the establishment of the Yerevan Pathway initiative.

“The Yerevan Pathway is a central component of the decision on the global review. We recognise that progress is neither fast enough nor sufficiently comprehensive. That is precisely why the Yerevan Pathway was established. Countries came together and clarified the steps they intend to take to address the gaps. This is an extremely important achievement,” she said.

According to Schomaker, the decision on the global review was one of the conference’s central outcomes, alongside several other important decisions.

In particular, the Gender Plan of Action, aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for women and men, was reviewed, with new commitments made or previous ones reaffirmed. The role of cities and subnational authorities was also addressed.

The Executive Secretary also highlighted the adoption of operating procedures for the body working with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, which will expand their participation in decision-making and enable their knowledge and experience to be used.

Separate decisions were also adopted on the main drivers of biodiversity loss, including issues relating to climate change, agriculture and invasive alien species.

Schomaker also addressed the role of the financial system, stressing that extensive discussions had taken place, particularly on subsidies harmful to biodiversity.

“I have never seen so many discussions about harmful subsidies. Again, everyone acknowledged the problem and recognised that action is now needed. Of course, on the more complex issues, we could not expect negotiations to produce firm commitments. But the problem was recognised, and coalitions for cooperation and flagship initiatives of the presidency emerged around it,” she said.

She also highlighted the broad involvement of civil society during the conference. Discussions involving judges examined legal mechanisms for biodiversity protection, as well as the resulting economic risks and legal challenges for businesses.

Representatives of multilateral development banks and investment and financial institutions participated in discussions on financing.

“We discussed how it is that there are such vast financial resources in the world, yet they are not being directed where they are needed, and how those financial flows can be redirected. All these discussions took place here in Yerevan. I think we have laid an extremely strong foundation for progress,” Schomaker stressed.

Turning to other outcomes, the Executive Secretary said decisions had been adopted that translated knowledge into action.

She cited work under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to support countries with limited capacity in conducting proper risk assessments and managing risks.

She also mentioned new programmes of work on protected areas and forests, aimed at using the latest scientific evidence to identify the causes of ecosystem loss and develop measures to counter them.

Schomaker also addressed the Cali Fund, acknowledging that it had so far been less effective than expected.

“It has not been as successful as we had hoped, or as it should have been. But today the parties came together and adopted a decision that will enable us to move forward,” she said.

Discussing accountability for fulfilling commitments, Schomaker stressed that the UN did not produce individual assessments for each member state. Fortunately, most governments of the parties were formed through democratic elections, meaning voters would hold their governments to account.

“But most importantly, nature itself will hold us to account. If we fail to fulfil our commitments by 2030 and biodiversity continues to decline, governments will have to pay an incomparably higher price than would have been necessary had we begun acting today,” she stressed.

Concluding, Schomaker highlighted the need to acknowledge and identify existing problems and take practical steps to address them.

“We must acknowledge the situation as it is and recognise that progress is not fast enough. We must identify the gaps, find ways forward, then take the Yerevan Pathway and act,” she concluded.

The next Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity will take place in Ecuador in 2028.