South Africa welcomes COP17 outcomes, calls for accelerated biodiversity action and implementation support
South Africa has welcomed the adoption of the Yerevan Pathway for Accelerated Implementation and progress on biodiversity finance negotiations at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), reaffirming the need for adequate resources and strengthened international cooperation to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
The conference, held from 19 to 30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, marked a critical milestone in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The first global review of collective progress revealed that fewer than half of the national biodiversity targets assessed by Parties are on track to be achieved by 2030.
Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Mr Narend Singh, who led South Africa's delegation, said the findings underscored the urgency of translating global commitments into measurable action.
"The first global review has provided a sobering assessment of where we stand. We have made important strides towards protecting and restoring biodiversity, but our collective progress, including the mobilisation of financial resources, is not keeping pace with the scale of the challenge. The remaining four years to 2030 demand decisive action, stronger international cooperation and the resources to deliver on our commitments," said Deputy Minister Singh.
Resource mobilisation and the financial mechanism were among the most significant negotiating issues at COP17, building on decisions taken at COP16 in Colombia and its resumed session in Rome in 2025. During high-level political consultations with the COP17 Presidency, Deputy Minister Singh advanced South Africa's position that proposals to broaden the contributor base for biodiversity finance must be informed by a thorough assessment of their historical, legal and practical implications, while safeguarding developed countries' obligations under Article 20 of the Convention.
South Africa successfully advocated for an intersessional process, with the adopted decision providing for a study and detailed analysis informed by consultations. The findings will be submitted to the Subsidiary Body on Implementation ahead of COP18 to guide consideration of options for broadening the contributor base.
South Africa maintained that increasing the number of contributors does not necessarily translate into additional financial resources, and that the priority must remain mobilising adequate, predictable and accessible finance for developing countries.
In negotiations on the financial mechanism, South Africa and other developing countries also successfully upheld the four criteria agreed at COP16, which remain central to the further development of the proposed mechanism.
"South Africa appreciates that the outcomes reflect important elements of the position we advanced. Expanding the contributor base must not dilute the obligations of developed countries or divert attention from the urgent need to mobilise additional resources. The agreed process provides an opportunity for informed consideration of these issues while safeguarding the interests of developing countries," said Deputy Minister Singh.
The adoption of the Yerevan Pathway for Accelerated Implementation represents an important step towards addressing gaps identified through the first global review of the KMGBF. The Pathway seeks to strengthen national implementation, improve monitoring and accountability, mobilise resources and promote greater policy coherence across government and society to accelerate progress towards the Framework's 23 targets by 2030 and four long-term goals by 2050.
South Africa emphasised that its successful implementation would require predictable financing, technology transfer, capacity-building and stronger scientific and technical cooperation, particularly for developing countries.
"Ambition without implementation support is not credible. The Yerevan Pathway provides an opportunity to correct course, but its success will depend on whether countries have the resources and capacity to translate commitments into tangible results that benefit biodiversity and people," said Deputy Minister Singh.
South Africa also delivered a statement on behalf of the Group of Like-minded Megadiverse Countries and continued to advocate for fair and equitable benefit-sharing from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources, including through the Cali Fund. The country further emphasised science-based decision-making in marine and coastal biodiversity conservation, sustainable wildlife management and greater policy coherence across the biodiversity, climate change and land degradation agendas.
A highlight of South Africa's participation at COP17 was a biodiversity-themed poetry performance by five learners from Sharpeville, Gauteng, during Education Day hosted by UNESCO. The learners first delivered their message at the global flagship celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May 2026, hosted by South Africa. Their performance in Yerevan brought a distinctly South African youth voice to the global stage, underscoring the importance of empowering young people as advocates for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development South Africa's contribution to global biodiversity governance was strengthened through the election of Ms Malepo Phoshoko to the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties. South African learners also participated as young biodiversity ambassadors, delivering a cultural performance during the fourth plenary session.
South Africa will build on the COP17 outcomes through its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2035, strengthening biodiversity governance and advancing conservation approaches that support sustainable livelihoods and economic development.
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