ECF at COP17: Connecting Regional Experience and Global Conservation
Updated: 2 hours ago
This year’s Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Biodiversity Convention took place in Armenia, one of the countries of the Ecoregional Corridors Fund (ECF).
This year’s Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Biodiversity Convention took place in Armenia, one of the countries of the Ecoregional Corridors Fund (ECF). This provided an opportunity to showcase our work and contribute to the success of the event by providing a connection between global conservation goals and local action. Bringing experiences from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to the international stage, ECF highlighted the role of community-based conservation in protecting biodiversity and strengthening cooperation in the region. And, away from the conference rooms, two field trips gave delegates the chance to see what this looks like in practice.
ECF at COP17
The ECF team organised two side events titled "Transboundary Biodiversity Cooperation". The first took place on 22 October in the Green Zone, making it accessible to the general public and bringing together representatives of community-based organisations (CBOs) from Armenia and Georgia.
Presentations from ECF representatives, including Armen Shahbazyan (ECF National Coordinator for Armenia), Irakli Gogoladze (National Coordinator for Georgia) and Arus Nersisyan, (Director of the Arpa Environmental Foundation). These presentations provided an opportunity to share regional experiences from the ECF and demonstrate the important role local communities play in protecting biodiversity across the Southern Caucasus.
A second, similar event followed on 28 October in the Armenian Pavilion in the Blue Zone. The discussion brought ECF's work to an audience of high-level donor and recipient country officials and global leaders of conservation organisations. The event reinforced the importance of locally rooted conservation approaches to achieve the Kunming Montreal objectives of the Biodiversity Convention, notably the objective 3 aiming at conserving 30% of land, waters and seas by 2030, through mechanisms like OECMs Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures) and collaborative conservation management.
The ECF sessions in both the Blue Zone (delegates) and Green Zone (open to the public) were amongst the best attended meetings I saw at the COP. Presentations were bang on the mark and there was great feedback from an engaged audience.” - Nigel Dudley, Equilibrium Research
ECF's contribution extended beyond its own events as Jernej Strith (ECF Chief Technical Advisor) was invited to present at two additional sessions.
“At the Panorama Solutions event organised by the IUCN and UNDP, ECF was showcased as a good practice example from the region. The positive response from participants was an encouraging indication that the work undertaken by communities and partners over the years is gaining wider recognition.” - Jernej Strith, ECF Chief Technical
Advisor Jernej also presented findings from ECF's study on the climate impact during a group discussion on grasslands, highlighting the relationship between biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and sustainable land management, which is an important dimension of the ECF’s landscape-level approach.
Armen Shahbazyan, ECF National Coordinator for Armenia, contributed to two further discussions. At a CISDL and WWF roundtable on credible OECMs (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures), he shared Armenia’s perspective on OECMs, ecological connectivity and Target 3 implementation. He also presented on community-based conservation in Armenia, developed since 2015 with BMZ support, at BAZMAZAN: Living Armenia – Armenia’s Biodiversity Stories.
Beyond the conference halls and into the field
While COP provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience, the ECF team organised two field trips, offering a chance to step into the landscapes and communities behind the work.
The first trip took a group of representatives from international organisations to Zangakatun, where the focus was on community conservation. Participants visited the Gndasar CBO and met local representatives, gaining insight into the organisation's work and the relationship between local stewardship and biodiversity protection.
There was also a particularly exciting recent development to share. Just this month, the local caretakers had tracked a leopard in their area, a discovery that attracted considerable attention on social media and global newspapers. It was a timely reminder that the work of local conservationists is not simply about maintaining agreements or protecting land on paper. It can have very tangible results for wildlife. Nigel Dudley and Sue Stolton also joined as part of the ECF team.
The second field trip was organised for the German delegation, with representatives from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), KfW and GIZ. The group was warmly welcomed by the Mayor of Areni. Armen and Arus shared insightful presentations about their work and conservation efforts, followed by lunch at a local restaurant supported by the project and an opportunity to observe Bezoar Goats in the Noravank Gorge. The visit also had a few memorable moments: rain greeted the group upon arrival, and an unexpected electricity blackout interrupted the presentations. Fortunately, the weather cleared after lunch, allowing the group to enjoy their visit to the conservation area.
A new generation of women shaping conservation
Another important part of ECF's presence at COP was Arus's participation in three separate sessions addressing gender in conservation, the role of informal rangers and caretakers, and community-based conservation in Armenia in the context of IUCN. Arus represents a new generation of women in conservation, building on the foundations laid by those who came before her. Sue Stolton of Equilibrium Research is one such pioneer. The presence of a new generation of women like Arus in these international discussions reflects how the field continues to evolve, with more women bringing their knowledge, experience and leadership to the forefront.
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For ECF, COP was an opportunity to demonstrate how years of work with communities in the Caucasus contribute to wider biodiversity goals, from ecological connectivity and OECMs to climate resilience and inclusive conservation.
“Being able to showcase the ECF project during the COP was perfect; it helped people transition from the high-level, often quite esoteric discussions to the reality of successful, community-led conservation on the ground. It provided a vital reminder of why we had gathered in Yerevan – for biodiversity, not just wordsmithing long documents.” - Sue Stolton, Equilibrium Research
Sometimes, the most compelling evidence of progress is not found in a conference presentation, but in a community welcoming visitors for lunch, then watching Bezoar goats move across the landscape. Community and conservation in action and unison.
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