NEWS | Local Action with Global Commitments: Highlights from the 2025 ECF Regional Consultative Forum

How ECF communities are driving 30x30 progress across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

The 2025 edition of the Regional Consultative Forum brought fresh energy and ambition to the long-standing commitment to biodiversity conservation in the South Caucasus. While climate change remained an important theme, this year’s event focused firmly on how the region can rise to the global biodiversity targets set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and how the ECF program can help achieve them through local and regional action.

Each year, the Eco-Corridors Fund for the Caucasus (ECF) hosts their Regional Consultative Forum, providing an opportunity to review annual progress, strengthen cross-border collaboration, and chart out next steps. On Friday, May 30, 2025, stakeholders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia gathered with donor representatives once again at the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel in Tbilisi. Over 70 participants—government officials, civil society leaders, international experts, and community-based organizations—came together for a full day of presentations, dialogue, and exchange.

Local Action for Global Targets

The ECF is now in the last year of its second phase, which began in February 2022. Building on existing successes and with new Conservation Agreements in development, the focus has shifted toward aligning regional efforts with global goals. The Kunming-Montreal agreement, which calls for conserving 30% of land by 2030, set the tone and became a primary topic during the various presentations.

Thanks to the hard work of the translation team who provided instant interpretation, all the presentations were offered in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, and English, enabling broad and inclusive participation.

Opening the Forum

The forum opened with welcoming statements from government delegates across the three participating countries. Karlo Amirgulashvili, Head of the Biodiversity Department at Georgia’s Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, who called to maintain the momentum the ECF has created and deepen cooperation. Rashad Allahverdiev - Deputy Director of the Service of Protection of Biodiversity, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan followed, expressing strong national interest in achieving the 30x30 target and Tigran Asatryan, Chief Specialist of the Ministry of Environment, Department of Specially Protected Natural Areas and Biodiversity Policy of Armenia reaffirmed their support for the ECF’s integrated conservation approach.

Frank Moerschel, Senior Portfolio Manager for the Caucasus at KfW Development Bank, highlighted the importance of long-term partnerships and adaptive strategies. Giorgi Sanadiradze, Director of the WWF Caucasus Programme Office, celebrated the dedication of stakeholders across the region and the ECF’s unique role in translating high-level goals into local success stories.

Next, Jernej Stritih, the ECF’s Chief Technical Advisor, provided a short overview of progress in 2024 and early 2025, underscoring the significance of Conservation Agreements and community-led solutions in helping meet national and international commitments. He welcomed the many new local communities who have become or are in the process of becoming conservation partners to the ECF. 

Understanding the Bigger Picture A key part of the agenda was a look at how global frameworks intersect with regional realities. Nigel Dudley of Equilibrium Research and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas gave an overview of “Other Effective Conservation Measures” (OECMs)—a vital tool for achieving conservation outcomes beyond formal protected areas. He introduced the idea of OECMs at last year’s forum and the momentum of the concept is growing both within the Caucasus and internationally. He discussed the challenges and importance of achieving the Kunming – Montreal targets of the UN Convention on Biodiversity using OECMs. Jernej Stritih followed with a focused presentation on how ECF’s activities contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, particularly through carbon sequestration and ecosystem resilience.

National and Local Perspectives on 30x30 After lunch, the focus shifted to how each country is planning to meet the 30x30 target. Representatives from the Ministries of Environment of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Tigran Asatryan, Rashad Allahveriyev and Teona Karchava, presented their progress as well as providing some insight into national strategies for expanding land conservation, emphasizing the integration of community-based conservation models supported by the ECF.

Following this, Jernej Stritih and Nigel Dudley returned to the floor to explain how the ECF will support OECM implementation in each country, positioning ECF as a practical engine behind the ambitious biodiversity targets.

Community-Led Conservation The final thematic session spotlighted local voices and the role of community-based organizations in conservation. CBO representatives from all three countries gave firsthand accounts of their contributions to conserving landscapes and biodiversity under the ECF framework. Their stories reflected both the challenges and the potential of empowering rural communities as stewards of nature.

This was followed by a synthesis from Jernej Stritih and Nigel Dudley, which drew out common themes across the countries: the importance of trust-building, tailored approaches to land use, and the need for supportive policy frameworks.

Concluding Reflections The day closed with remarks by WWF Caucasus Programme Director Giorgi Sanadiradze, who underscored the value of shared vision and long-term partnership, and the evening’s joint dinner provided a relaxed setting for continued conversation and connection across borders and sectors.

As the ECF continues its mission to protect biodiversity and build resilience in the South Caucasus, this year’s forum reaffirmed the central role of community involvement, science-based policy, and international cooperation. The commitment and excitement displayed by all three countries is an ongoing and strong sign that the region is not only ready but already moving toward a more sustainable future through community-led nature conservation. An important opportunity to share this experience and commitment with the rest of the world will be the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia in 2026. 

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