Judith Phiri [email protected]
ZIMBABWE will participate in the 17th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD COP17), the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife has said.
The landmark summit will convene alongside the 12th Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol (CP-MOP12) and the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol (NP-MOP6) in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 19 to 30, 2026, preceded by the High-Level “Leaders for Nature” Summit on October 16, 2026.
In a statement, the ministry said that under the overarching framework of global multilateral environmental governance, COP17 serves as a crucial milestone for reviewing collective progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
“Zimbabwe’s high-level delegation, led by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, will participate across the full spectrum of negotiations, parallel summits and ministerial dialogues to ensure Southern Africa’s conservation priorities and community rights are firmly integrated into the international biodiversity agenda.
“The delegation will comprise Government specialists from key line ministries and institutions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, National Biotechnology Authority, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Environmental Management Agency and the Forestry Commission,” reads part of the statement.
The ministry said that, as a biodiversity-rich nation managing expansive wildlife and forestry complexes, Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) and critical ecosystems, Zimbabwe’s engagement at COP17 is pivotal.
It said the conference provides a decisive platform to align global conservation ambitions with national socio-economic imperatives, sovereign resource governance and rural livelihood security.
“Zimbabwe’s presence ensures that global policy decisions, particularly regarding resource mobilisation, access and benefit-sharing and climate-biodiversity synergies, reflect the operational realities of developing nations on the frontlines of both biodiversity stewardship and climate vulnerability,” the ministry said.
“This is critical as under the NDS2, Zimbabwe is working to strengthen and implement a biodiversity economy initiative which intends to balance conservation and economic development.
“The approach is to ensure that biodiversity is not only a conservation issue but also an important contributor to economic development.”
The ministry said it seeks to strengthen and establish, where appropriate, a structured biodiversity economy that integrates five key pillars; that is wildlife, forestry, fisheries, bio-trade and the payment for ecosystem services (PES).
It said Zimbabwe continues to demonstrate progressive leadership in fulfilling its commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity, including provision of an adequate enabling environment for a biodiversity economy.
“Zimbabwe has managed to comply with local, regional and international obligations such as the recent production of the Third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2026–2030), a new wildlife policy, forestry policy together with other policies.
“It has reviewed the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) such as CAMPFIRE to ensure increased community benefits and reduced human-wildlife conflicts,” read part of the statement.
“As well as continued conservation and ecosystem protection through maintenance of species diversity and expansion of areas under protection.
“While ensuring that biodiversity indicators are mainstreamed into sectoral policies across agriculture, forestry, mining and land use, also championing gender-responsive conservation and youth empowerment.”
The Ministry said during the negotiations in Yerevan, the Zimbabwean delegation will aggressively push for outcomes across key strategic pillars.
These include equitable resource mobilisation and direct grant finance, as Zimbabwe will advocate for a robust, accessible, and predictable global biodiversity finance architecture.
“The delegation insists that the global review of KMGBF implementation must be paired with scaled-up financial delivery, moving away from debt-creating mechanisms toward direct grants and streamlined access to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and dedicated multilateral biodiversity funds.”
Under Digital Sequence Information (DSI) and the Cali Fund, Zimbabwe will press for the full operationalisation of an equitable, transparent multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing arising from the use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources.
“Zimbabwe will push for clear allocation rules under the Cali Fund to ensure that financial returns directly flow back to biodiversity-rich developing countries, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) who act as the primary custodians of genetic heritage.”
Under Rights and Empowerment of Local Communities (Article 8(j)), Zimbabwe will advocate for decision-making that respects land tenure, traditional ecological knowledge and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).
The Ministry said Zimbabwe supports the implementation of KMGBF Targets 2 and 3 in a manner that upholds community rights, spatial justice, and equitable access to natural resource benefits.
On the Gender Plan of Action and Inclusive Conservation, it said: “The delegation will champion the full operationalisation of the Gender Plan of Action, demanding gender-disaggregated data in monitoring frameworks, securing land tenure rights for women and guaranteed funding for women-led community conservation initiatives.”
The ministry said on Sustainable Wildlife Management and the “One Health” Approach, Zimbabwe will lead calls for policies that balance conservation with sustainable use, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and rural economic development.
It said the delegation will align with the global consensus on biodiversity-health linkages; however, calling for caution in implementing the “One Health” interventions to mitigate zoonotic risks while safeguarding community livelihoods.
The Ministry said on other high-level engagements beyond formal plenary negotiations, the delegation will actively participate in high-level thematic forums.
These include the “Leaders for Nature” Summit (16 October) aimed at elevating political ambition for KMGBF delivery, Finance Day (26 October) for engaging bilateral and multilateral donors for conservation pipelines and the Women’s Forum & Gender-Responsive Workshops (27 October) – advocating for inclusive governance frameworks.
The High-Level Ministerial Segment (October 27–28) will see the delivery of Zimbabwe’s National Statement on sustainable resource use, climate resilience and equitable financial mechanism reforms.
