Armenia will use COP17 to spotlight science, innovation and culture as countries review progress on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s 23 targets.

A Green Zone at COP17 in Yerevan will host hundreds of scientific, cultural and environmental initiatives from October 19 to 30, bringing together civil society, researchers, businesses and international partners alongside the global biodiversity conference.

The Green Zone will operate at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex during the Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), according to Lilit Midoyan, Chief Coordinator of the COP17 Green Zone.

Speaking to reporters, Midoyan said COP17 will be held across two main venues. The Blue Zone, managed by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, will be located at the Meridian Expo Center, while the Green Zone will be based at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.

“Shuttle services will operate between the two zones. The Green Zone will be open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It will feature several thematic areas, including a Science and Innovation Zone, where scientific and innovative projects related to biodiversity and environmental protection will be showcased, as well as a Cultural Zone, where visitors will be introduced to Armenia’s cultural heritage through a variety of events,” Midoyan said.

The Ministry of Environment will draw up the agenda for the Green Zone’s 12-day program, while partner organizations will also be able to organize their own events and initiatives at the venue. The deadline for submitting session proposals is September 15.

“Applications will be evaluated based on three main criteria: scientific merit, alignment with environmental policy objectives, and technical feasibility. Individuals may not apply as session organizers, but organizations may host both public and closed events. Sessions may last 30, 60, or 90 minutes,” Midoyan said.

She added that all materials must be submitted electronically in advance because storage devices will not be accepted at the venue.

Speakers will also be able to participate online, Midoyan said.

Simultaneous Armenian-English and English-Armenian interpretation will be available for Green Zone events. Organizers requiring interpretation into other languages will be responsible for making their own arrangements.

A press center with capacity for approximately 90 media representatives will also operate in the Green Zone.

Around 100 exhibition booths will be installed in the grandstand area of the Sports and Concert Complex.

“The rental fee for each booth is AMD 1.44 million, including taxes, for the entire 12-day period. Organizers will also encourage environmentally responsible practices throughout the venue, including minimizing the use of plastic and other materials that may harm the environment,” Midoyan said.

COP17 will bring together representatives of the Parties to the Convention as well as Indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society, scientists, youth, businesses and other stakeholders to advance global action on biodiversity.

The conference will take place at a key stage in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

For the first time since the Framework was adopted in 2022, countries will collectively review progress towards its 23 targets, shifting attention from commitments to evidence and from what was agreed to what has been achieved.

COP17 will provide an opportunity to assess collective progress, strengthen cooperation and accelerate action towards global biodiversity goals for 2030.

Hosting the conference will place Armenia at the center of the global discussion on biodiversity. Although the country represents only 6.7% of the Caucasus by area, it contains approximately 60% of the region’s biodiversity and is home to diverse ecosystems and thousands of plant and animal species.

As host, Armenia will welcome the international community to Yerevan, providing a platform for dialogue, cooperation and collective action while linking global biodiversity priorities with the country’s rich natural heritage.

This post is republished from Armenpress.

https://theclimatewatch.com/armenias-cop17-green-zone-to-host-science-and-cultural-events/

The Haghartsin Monastery in Armenia, a 10th-century complex that had been left structurally unsound by earthquake damage and decades of neglect, was restored through a donation from Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who contributed an estimated $1.7 million (Dh6.2 million) to fund the work.

How the Haghartsin Monastery Sharjah restoration came about

Sheikh Dr Sultan visited Armenia in 2005 at the invitation of then-president Robert Kocharian, a trip arranged by the Armenian business community in Sharjah. The state of the monastery during that visit prompted the offer to finance its full renovation.

The complex sits roughly 100 kilometres north-east of the capital, Yerevan, in forested mountain terrain. Founded in the 10th century, it comprises three churches and once housed around 250 monks. It had survived invasions and anti-religious campaigns during Soviet rule, but by the time of Sheikh Dr Sultan’s visit, plants had forced their way through the ancient stone walls and deep cracks threatened the structural integrity of the buildings.

One source, Kavkaz-Uzel, has reported the total restoration cost at $5 million, a figure that may reflect the full project expenditure including contributions channelled through Armenia Fund. Earlier reporting figure of $1.7 million appears to represent Sheikh Dr Sultan’s personal donation. The Armenian General Benevolent Union has described the donation as covering millions for the renovation, consistent with the higher estimate.

Five years of meticulous conservation work

The restoration ran from 2008 to 2013. Works included reinforcing foundations, repairing walls and floors, upgrading drainage and utility systems, and constructing a new access road to the site.

The project preserved the medieval fabric of the complex, including the 10th-century St Gregory church and a refectory hall supported by 12 columns representing the Disciples of Christ. Conservators kept the character of the original stonework intact throughout.

On 19 October 2013, the monastery was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Armenian officials and representatives from Sharjah. It has remained an active place of worship since.

The monastery project is one part of a broader relationship between Sharjah and Armenia. The emirate is home to a substantial Armenian community, and the St Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Sharjah was built on land donated by Sheikh Dr Sultan and inaugurated in 1998.

Armenia is regarded as the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion, in 301 AD, a fact that gives the monastery particular significance as a heritage site beyond its architectural merit.

Sheikh Dr Sultan’s cross-cultural contributions have received formal recognition abroad. On 3 October 2018, the University of Coimbra in Portugal awarded him an honorary doctorate, describing him as ‘the man who brings cultures together’, citing his support for culture, literature and history at both local and international level, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The Haghartsin Monastery restoration remains one of the more concrete examples of that record: a medieval complex that was close to collapse in 2005 and has been open to visitors and worshippers ever since 2013.

As reported by “Caucasian Knot”, on February 17, the Baku Military Court sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan, whose case was considered separately. The defendant, who headed the Karabakh government for only a few months during the blockade of the Lachin corridor, was found guilty of war crimes. Vardanyan refused to file an appeal, explaining that he does not recognize the verdict as an act of justice. Other captives, whose cases were considered separately, also received long sentences. Veronika Zonabend, the wife of Ruben Vardanyan, appealed to international organizations and the authorities of Armenia to assist in visiting Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan.

In the fall of 2023, after the completion of Azerbaijan’s military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the establishment of control over the territory, Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies initiated criminal prosecution against former leaders and residents of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. In early October 2023, former presidents Arkadi Gukasian (1997–2007), Bako Saakyan (2007–2020), Araik Arutyunyan (2020–2023), as well as parliament chairman David Ishkhanian were detained and transferred to Baku. More details about the events in Nagorno-Karabakh are provided in the reports of “Caucasian Knot” Karabakh: escalation of the conflict or a new war? and “The beginning and end of the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh”.

The human rights activist stated the possibility of violence against the captives

13:11 25.02.2026Vardanyan and 15 leaders of Karabakh: main points about the trials in BakuCourt proceedings took place in Baku regarding criminal cases against representatives of the former Karabakh authorities, accused of war crimes against Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people. Former state minister Ruben Vardanyan is being tried separately from 15 former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh.
A representative of the interests of Armenian captives in the European Court of Human Rights, Siranush Saakyan, reported worrying information about the health of Armenians held in Azerbaijani prisons, including information about serious injuries that may have been sustained as a result of violence.

Although it is currently impossible to verify this information independently, it appears to be credible.

“We have received information about individuals among the Armenian captives held in Azerbaijani prisons who have sustained serious injuries. We cannot verify this information independently, but it raises serious concerns,” she said, as reported by “News Armenia”.

According to her, families of the captives also report a rapid deterioration in their condition and injuries.

“In some cases, serious alarming signals are coming in, and if this information is true, it may indicate conditions incompatible with life. We have received such reports of serious injuries. We do not have the ability to verify this information independently. At this moment, we trust this information,” said the human rights activist.

She noted that this includes fractures.

“We do not rule out that they may have been sustained as a result of violence. We cannot establish the causes. In several cases, it concerns the exacerbation of pre-existing health problems, but there are also cases that may indicate elements of violence or other interference,” emphasized Saakyan.

Relatives confirmed the deterioration of the captives’ condition

Armenians, who have been imprisoned for years without adequate medical care, are gradually losing their health, their relatives reported, who for safety reasons did not wish to disclose their names.

“He has lost a lot of weight, he is just skin and bones, and he also has no lower teeth. He doesn’t tell us anything, but during the trial, it is clear that he has no lower teeth; they have been knocked out,” said a relative of one of the captives.

Health problems are observed in almost all captives, stated a relative of another prisoner.

“He called and said: ‘We feel bad, everyone feels bad. One complains of heart problems, another of headaches. We are completely ignored,'” said a relative of a captive.

The wife of Ludwig Mkrtchyan, who has been in an Azerbaijani prison for six years, also stated that her husband’s health has sharply deteriorated in recent months.

According to relatives, some of the 19 Armenian captives have been in Azerbaijani prisons for about six years, while others for about three years. They are deprived of the opportunity to undergo comprehensive medical examinations.
Independent doctors do not have access to the captives.

Saakyan emphasized that by August 31, Azerbaijan is obliged to submit a report to the European Court of Human Rights on the conditions of detention of Armenian captives, including information about their health status. According to Saakyan, the medical documents contained in the report will be compared with the information received from relatives.

The consideration of the appeals of Armenian captives continues

On July 24, another hearing took place in the Baku Court of Appeals regarding the appeals of citizens of the Republic of Armenia – Araik Arutyunyan, Arkadi Gukasian, Bako Saakyan, David Ishkhanian, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, against whom the Baku Military Court issued a guilty verdict, reports Report,

Prosecutors supporting the state prosecution spoke in court. The next court session will take place on July 27.

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