WRI experts will be on the ground at CBD COP17 in Armenia, helping countries and communities turn biodiversity commitments into results by unlocking nature’s economic value on land and at sea. WRI will be convening partners around community-led restoration and bioeconomy efforts, the ocean, and delivering on and monitoring progress toward the Global Biodiversity Framework targets. WRI will also support country members of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People in advancing their 30x30 goals.

All times are local to Yerevan, Armenia (UTC+4). Some events may require conference accreditation or advance registration.

Schedule at a glance

Select an event to jump to its full details below. Times are local to Yerevan.

October 19

October 20

October 21

October 22

October 23

October 24

October 25

October 26

October 27

October 28

October 29

Date to be confirmed

Event details

High Seas, Shared Responsibility: A Working Roundtable on Implementation Pathways and Support Needs

  • Date: Monday, October 19
  • Time: 13:00–14:15
  • Location: Ocean Pavilion
  • Partners: Government of Mexico and Ocean Panel (WRI)

This interactive working roundtable will bring together government practitioners and technical experts to examine implementation bottlenecks, lessons learned, support needs, and where partnerships and international cooperation would bring most value.

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Strengthening Sustainable Fisheries in National Biodiversity Plans

  • Date: Monday, October 19
  • Time: 16:00–17:15
  • Location: Ocean Pavilion
  • Partners: WRI, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

The event would surface gaps between GBF ambition and national implementation on sustainable fisheries, and convene delegates, IGOs, and civil society.

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Measuring What Matters: New Tools and Standards for Assessing Reporting and Improving Target 3 Implementation

  • Date: Tuesday, October 20
  • Time: 09:00–10:15
  • Location: IUCN Pavilion
  • Partners: IUCN Secretariat, IUCN WCPA, High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People Secretariat, UNEP-WCMC

The central purpose of this event is to officially launch the IUCN Global Standard for Effective and Equitable Protected and Conserved Areas and position it as a practical reference for strengthening the qualitative elements of CBD Target 3: effectiveness, equity, ecological representativeness, connectivity and conservation outcomes.

The complementary purpose is to show what follows from the Standard. The event will introduce the wider IUCN effectiveness framework and preview the associated service package, including components still being finalized for release (e.g. standard guidance, procedure manual, trainings, GL-SAT, website). It will connect site-level improvement and recognition with system-level implementation, monitoring and reporting.

The event will also bring regional experience into the COP17 conversation. Five short interventions will show how countries and regions are applying management-effectiveness approaches and Green List experience to deliver and demonstrate Target 3 quality.

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High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People Matchmaking Hub (English and Spanish)

  • Date: Tuesday, October 20
  • Time: 15:00–16:00
  • Location: GEF Pavilion
  • Partners: High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People Secretariat; NatureXpairs
  • Access: Open to HAC members

Organized by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC) and NatureXpairs, the 30x30 Matchmaking Hub connects countries seeking support to implement Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with organizations offering technical assistance and opportunities for collaboration. Through facilitated small-group discussions, participants will learn about available support, share their needs, and explore potential partnerships. A dedicated help desk will also be available to help countries and partners refine requests and offers of assistance.

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Ecosystem restoration and Indigenous Peoples and local communities

  • Date: Wednesday, October 21
  • Time: 13:15
  • Location: Shaki - Marie Khan Women's Caucus meeting room
  • Partners: Synchronicity Earth | WRI | IIFB | UN CBD Women's Caucus | Rewild | GYBN | WCS

This side event will explore the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in achieving Target 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, linking to the implementation of Article 8(j) and COP17 discussions. Drawing on research, consultations and real-world examples, it will examine guidance for inclusive, respectful and sustainable ecosystem restoration that responds to their priorities and needs at every stage. It will also distinguish between externally driven interventions and locally led initiatives, sharing concrete examples and discussing challenges to strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ leadership in restoration.

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Bioeconomy Policies in the Pan-Amazon: Launch of the Bioecon Radar and Recommendations for Action

  • Date: Thursday, October 22
  • Time: 13:30–15:30
  • Location: Nature Pavilion
  • Partners: Pan-Amazon Network for Bioeconomy, TNC, CI, WRI Brasil

The event will launch the Pan-Amazon Bioeconomy Policy Radar, mapping over 200 national and subnational policies across the nine Amazonian countries. Bringing together governments, Indigenous Peoples, international organizations, and civil society, the session will explore policy gaps and opportunities to advance a sustainable, inclusive, and locally led bioeconomy, and discuss how public policies can support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

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GEF-8 Sustainable Ocean Plans Project Validation Workshop & Networking Reception

  • Date: Thursday, October 22
  • Time: 15:00–19:30
  • Location: Courtyard by Marriott Yerevan, 5 Teryan Street, Yerevan
  • Partners: CAF, WRI, OAS and IOC UNESCO

The workshop will bring together country representatives and partner organizations to review and validate the project proposal, exchange perspectives on national priorities, and agree on the next steps for advancing our joint work

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Making Indigenous and Community Conservation Visible: Strengthening KMGBF Reporting through Existing Global Platforms

  • Date: Thursday, October 22
  • Time: 18:15
  • Location: Bjini - Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Group meeting room
  • Partners: ICCA Consortium | IIFB | FPP | IUCN | UNEP-WCMC | IUCN CEESP | WCPA | ILC | WRI | Indigenous Navigator

The Global Review of Collective Progress on Implementation of the KMGBF highlights important information gaps on Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs), ICCAs–territories of life, and the contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to biodiversity conservation. Yet much relevant information already exists through community-led initiatives and established platforms such as LandMark: The Global Platform of Indigenous and Community Lands, the ICCA Registry, and Indigenous Navigator. Rather than creating new reporting systems, there is an opportunity to strengthen and better use these existing platforms to inform national and global KMGBF reporting while respecting community governance, consent, and data sovereignty.

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Scaling Landscape Restoration: Economic Pathways, a Latin American Case

  • Date: Friday, October 23
  • Time: 11:00–11:45
  • Location: Business and Biodiversity Hub
  • Partners: Government of Perú, CCAD, WRI Brasil, BCIE

This interactive session will use a restoration investment case from the Initiative 20x20 network to explore how government restoration commitments can be translated into investable, biodiversity-positive and socially inclusive action. Bringing together government, finance and implementation perspectives, the discussion will identify practical ways to address investment barriers and enabling-condition bottlenecks, while demonstrating how investment in restoration can deliver measurable biodiversity outcomes and contribute to healthy, resilient ecosystems and landscapes. The session will support the implementation of GBF Targets 2, 15 and 19.

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From national MPA to the High Seas: make 30x30 work

  • Date: Saturday, October 24
  • Time: 09:00–10:15
  • Location: Ocean Pavilion
  • Partners: High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People; Commonwealth Secretariat

This side event will discuss how countries can strengthen national MPAs and establish new ones on the high seas to create ecologically connected areas that protect habitats, ecosystems, and migratory species, while advancing the goal of 30x30.

The discussion has two objectives. First, it will provide an opportunity for Commonwealth and HAC member countries to showcase the progress they have made in strengthening national MPAs and establishing new MPAs on the high seas, with the aim of creating ecologically connected areas. Second, it will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of potential pathways for connecting national MPAs with high seas MPAs.

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High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People Matchmaking Hub (English and French)

  • Date: Saturday, October 24
  • Time: 09:30–10:30
  • Location: Nature Positive Pavilion
  • Partners: High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People Secretariat; NatureXpairs
  • Access: Open to HAC members

Organized by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC) and NatureXpairs, the 30x30 Matchmaking Hub connects countries seeking support to implement Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with organizations offering technical assistance and opportunities for collaboration. Through facilitated small-group discussions, participants will learn about available support, share their needs, and explore potential partnerships. A dedicated help desk will also be available to help countries and partners refine requests and offers of assistance.

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Invest in Nature: Mainstreaming Nature-Positive Principles into Financial Institutions’ Operations

  • Date: Saturday, October 24
  • Time: 09:00–12:30
  • Location: Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan, Amiyan Street 1, 0010, Yerevan
  • Partners: AIIB; EBRD; CCCMC; WCS; Standard Chartered; ADB; UNDP BIOFIN; IUCN; WWF; UNEP; TNFD.

Co-hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), this side event will explore practical approaches to mainstreaming nature-positive principles into financial institutions’ operations. Bringing together representatives from multilateral development banks, financial institutions, international organizations, industry and civil society, the event will focus on integrating biodiversity considerations into investment decisions, identifying and tracking nature-positive finance, and strengthening biodiversity safeguards. The event will also feature a roundtable discussion on opportunities to scale nature-positive finance through collaboration, capacity building and knowledge sharing.

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Target 3 Action Day

  • Date: Sunday, October 25
  • Time: 09:00–17:30
  • Location: KMGBF Pavilion
  • Partners: High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People Secretariat, CBD Secretariat, IUCN WCPA, WWF, WCS, TNC, Campaign for Nature, World Bank
  • Access: Open to all

Target 3 Day will provide a platform for Parties, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, youth, partners, donors and other stakeholders to move the conversation from assessment to acceleration.

The overall objective of the event is to identify practical pathways for accelerating implementation of T3 during the remaining years of the Framework. The aim is also to highlight the progress made by countries in the first four years of implementation of the target both on land and ocean.

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Latin America & the Caribbean Ocean Day

  • Date: Sunday, October 25
  • Time: 13:00–16:30
  • Location: Ocean Pavilion
  • Partners: CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean & WRI Ocean

LAC Ocean Day will showcase how Latin American and Caribbean countries are translating global ocean and biodiversity commitments into action, highlighting regional progress on Sustainable Ocean Plans, marine conservation, the blue economy, financing and implementation, while strengthening cooperation to advance the Global Biodiversity Framework and wider ocean goals.

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All HAC Members and Partners Reception

  • Date: Sunday, October 25
  • Time: 17:30–19:00
  • Location: Ocean Pavilion
  • Partners: High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, Government of Nigeria, Government of France

This event will highlight the recent success of the Rapid Deployment Mechanism of the High Ambition Coalition, showcasing 2025 grantees and announcing the new awardees. It will provide the opportunity for informal networking between members and partners of the Coalition.

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Scaling Landscape Restoration: Partnerships for Nature, Climate and Communities

  • Date: Monday, October 26
  • Time: 10:00–11:00
  • Location: Nordic Pavilion
  • Partners: Tetra Pak

As attention shifts from nature commitments to implementation, landscape restoration is emerging as a key opportunity to deliver measurable benefits for biodiversity, climate, and local communities.

But what does it take to scale restoration in practice?

Join Tetra Pak and invited speakers for a discussion on the partnerships, financing models, policies, and local engagement needed to turn ambition into action. Drawing on practical experience from across sectors, speakers will share lessons learned, discuss common barriers, and explore how collaboration can accelerate restoration at scale.

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Sustainable Ocean Plans as a Tool for Delivering the Global Biodiversity Framework

  • Date: Monday, October 26
  • Time: 13:15
  • Location: Sisian - Eastern European States meeting room
  • Partners: WRI, Ocean Panel Countries

Exploring how Sustainable Ocean Plans can support implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework through integrated ocean planning and coordinated action. It will showcase country experiences and practical approaches for aligning NBSAPs with integrated ocean planning.

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From Participation to Leadership: Communities Driving Landscape and Biodiversity Restoration

  • Date: Monday, October 26
  • Time: 13:30–14:45
  • Location: IUCN Pavilion
  • Partners: IUCN, FAO/FFF, GIZ, WRI, WWF, World Vision and GPFLR

This event explores how ecosystem restoration can move from participation to genuine local leadership in implementing Target 2 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Centring Indigenous Peoples, local communities, farmers and producer organisations, it will share practical experiences and examine how rights, governance, partnerships and access to finance can strengthen locally led restoration. Through interactive discussions and rapid case studies, the event will generate a practical call to action for biodiversity, resilient livelihoods, and inclusive decision-making.

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Protecting Antarctica’s Southern Ocean: a 30x30 imperative for a shared future

  • Date: Monday, October 26
  • Time: 15:00–16:00
  • Location: Vayk Room 3
  • Partners: Antarctic and South Ocean Coalition, High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People
  • Access: Open to all

The event will position the Southern Ocean as a flagship opportunity to advance Global Biodiversity Framework implementation through international cooperation, science-based conservation, rational use, and ecosystem-based ocean governance.

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From the Global Biodiversity Framework to Regional Action: Building Support Ecosystems to Empower Technical and Scientific Cooperation Centres (TSCCs)

  • Date: Monday, October 26
  • Time: 18:15
  • Location: Spitak - Side-event Room 2
  • Partners: CBD Secretariat (Sponsor) ; High Ambition Coalition ; IUCN WCPA ; NatureXpairs ; OFB ; MNHN ; RBINS; ACB ; Humboldt Institute; SANBI
  • Access: Open to all

This side-event aims to provide a solution-oriented space to explore how TSCCs can be supported through complementary forms of cooperation, building on past experiences, ongoing initiatives and future experiments. By combining lessons from the Target 3 workshops (CBD Secretariat, HAC N&P Secretariat, NatureXpairs, IUCN WCPA, OFB), the presentation of a forthcoming Knowledge Hub pilot on Target 4 (OFB, MNHN), and a strategic discussion among TSCCs (TBC), it will identify practical pathways for building supportive ecosystems around TSCCs.

The event will first draw lessons from the twelve regional capacity-building workshops on Target 3 implementation convened between 2024 and 2026. Bringing together more than 600 participants from 95 countries, these workshops generated practical knowledge and valuable insights on 30x30 implementation, including challenges related to OECMs, management effectiveness, financing, recognition of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ contributions, and cross-sectoral coordination.

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An Ocean of Opportunity – Delivering on the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework Goals through Voluntary Commitments at the 12th Our Ocean Conference

  • Date: Tuesday, October 27
  • Time: 10:30–11:45
  • Location: Ocean Pavilion
  • Partners: Government of Canada and the OOC Secretariat (WRI)

This event will highlight how the 2027 OOC, hosted by Canada, will build on this legacy of success to ratchet up global action needed to meet the KMGBF's 2030 targets. Governments, Indigenous organizations, civil society, and other key actors will discuss how the commitment process can be leveraged to catalyze the partnerships, finance, and technical resources needed to protect and restore marine biodiversity.

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From Sustainable Seafood to Blue Foods that Restore Nature: Regenerative Aquaculture and the Global Biodiversity Framework

  • Date: Tuesday, October 27
  • Time: 13:15
  • Location: Tatev - Subnational Group Meeting Room - Block 2, 3rd Floor
  • Partners: WRI Ocean

Bringing together government, research and industry leaders to explore how regenerative aquaculture can advance biodiversity, food security, coastal livelihoods and ocean resilience.

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High Seas, Shared Responsibility: Partnerships for BBNJ Implementation and Global Biodiversity Goals

  • Date: Wednesday, October 28
  • Time: 16:30–18:00
  • Location: Spitak meeting room, Block 2, 2nd floor
  • Partners: Government of Mexico and Ocean Panel

A high-level event aimed at strengthening understanding of the broader ecosystem of actors supporting countries in the implementation of the BBNJ Agreement.

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From principles to practice: Delivering the Global Biodiversity Framework through a sustainable, inclusive and nature-positive bioeconomy

  • Date: Thursday, October 29
  • Time: 10:00–11:00
  • Location: MDB Pavilion
  • Partners: NatureFinance, FAO, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Resources Institute (WRI), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
  • Access: Open to all

This side event will explore how the bioeconomy can accelerate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by translating Bioeconomy G20 High Level Principles into practical, scalable solutions. Drawing on the four Working Groups of the Bioeconomy Challenge, the discussion will address key gaps in measurement, finance, markets, and inclusion, highlighting opportunities for policy alignment, investment mobilization, international cooperation, and community-led approaches to advance an inclusive, biodiversity-positive, and climate-aligned global bioeconomy

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FLR Hub event on national forest and landscape restoration experience

  • Date: To be confirmed
  • Time: To be confirmed
  • Location: Green Zone
  • Access: Open
  • Status: Confirmed

Event description to be confirmed.

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