Excellencies
South Africa expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government and people of the Republic of Armenia for their warm hospitality and the arrangements made to host this important Conference in the city of Yerevan.
Mr President, allow me to share a few reflections.
South Africa is a megadiverse country, endowed with distinctive landscapes and ecosystems and high levels of endemism, including species found nowhere else on Earth. Our longstanding commitment to conservation is exemplified by the centenary of the Kruger National Park, celebrated in May this year—an important milestone in our national conservation journey.
Our biodiversity action is underpinned by a robust policy and legislative framework, informed by scientific evidence through periodic national biodiversity assessments and enriched by traditional knowledge. Whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches are central to these efforts.
Mr President,
On 22 May, South Africa was honoured to host the global flagship celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity. We bring to this Conference the message conveyed on that occasion by primary school learners, whose performance expressed a compelling appeal for stronger action to safeguard biodiversity and their future. Their message gives a human dimension to the implementation challenges highlighted in the report on the state of biodiversity action and reminds us of our shared responsibility to future generations.
Mr President,
COP 17 marks a pivotal moment as we undertake the first global review of collective progress towards the 2030 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We welcome Armenia’s emphasis on “Taking action for Biodiversity”. In this spirit, we recall that at COP 15 in Montreal we agreed to an ambitious framework and commensurate means of implementation from all sources, as mutually reinforcing elements of a shared undertaking.
Mr President,
In the State of Biodiversity Action, a recurring concern across the gaps, challenges and barriers to implementation is the availability of, and access to, adequate means of implementation, particularly financial resources, capacity-building, technical cooperation and technology transfer.
South Africa firmly believes that accelerating implementation towards 2030 requires concerted efforts to address these constraints, with the provision of financial resources remaining central.
The KMGBF articulates our collective ambition; translating that ambition into tangible outcomes requires strengthened delivery on commitments, including fulfilment by developed country Parties of their obligations under Article 20 of the Convention. The reported finding that only 12 of 25 (developed?) countries are meeting their obligations underscores the need for renewed efforts to address this gap.
Consistent with the same Article 20, South Africa is making voluntary contributions.. Developing countries, including small island developing States and biodiversity-rich countries such as South Africa, shoulder considerable responsibilities for safeguarding biodiversity and this must be considered as a global biodiversity contribution within their respective capabilities. Enhanced international support is needed to sustain and scale up these efforts. Such support should complement domestic action.
South Africa therefore calls for biodiversity finance that is adequate, predictable, accessible and timely. We urge developed country Parties to scale up public, grant-based and non-debt-creating finance in fulfilment of their obligations under the Convention. Efforts by developing countries to safeguard biodiversity that provides benefits beyond national borders should not exacerbate their debt burdens. A strengthened spirit of partnership is essential to ensuring that our shared ambition is matched by the resources required for implementation.
As we look towards 2030, we must translate this shared commitment into accelerated action that enables transformative change. This requires addressing the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss, persistent pressures on biodiversity and barriers to implementation. Drawing on the findings of the IPBES report, we recognise the need for transformative change across food, energy, infrastructure, finance, trade and governance systems. Strengthening policy coherence across these systems will be essential to achieving the Framework’s objectives.
Mr President,
In closing, South Africa calls for the full and effective operationalisation of the Cali Fund, with priority access for developing countries, meaningful representation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and dedicated support for capacity-building and technology transfer.
Advancing the three objectives of the Convention and implementing the KMGBF will require sustained political resolve, greater policy coherence, technical and scientific cooperation, and accelerated action at all levels. Let us reaffirm our commitment to translating our shared ambition into tangible outcomes, guided by equity, solidarity, ubuntu and a spirit of international cooperation.
I thank you, Mr President.
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