Armenia's Minister of Environment Ambartsum Matevosyan participated in the high-level global dialogue 'Sustainable Ocean Initiative Global Dialogue' held in Seoul, South Korea, where he presented Armenia's priorities and vision as the host country for COP17.
The Minister emphasized that although Armenia is a landlocked country, the future of the ocean is a shared responsibility for all. Processes occurring in the oceans have a direct impact on climate, water resources, ecosystem stability, and ultimately on human well-being, regardless of geographical boundaries.
Matevosyan presented Armenia's vision as the host of COP17, highlighting the importance of strengthening complementary cooperation between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction). This year’s BBNJ Agreement, which came into force, opens an important new phase in global ocean governance, and the COP17 to be held in Yerevan in October will serve as the first comprehensive assessment of the progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework.
Matevosyan noted that the priority now is not to take on new commitments but to effectively implement already accepted decisions. In this context, the Minister outlined several key areas of cooperation, including the development of marine protected areas and other effective spatial protection measures, aligning international processes in the conservation of marine genetic resources, as well as the importance of science, innovation, data accessibility, and capacity development.
The Minister reaffirmed that Armenia's presidency will continue to promote cooperation, evidence-based decision-making, ecosystem management approaches, and multilateral partnerships, guided by the slogan 'Act for Nature.'
Matevosyan added that the outcomes of the dialogue in Seoul will make a significant contribution to both global ocean governance and the international agenda for biodiversity conservation, continuing this work within the framework of COP17 in Yerevan.
