Strengthening voices for mountain biodiversity, enhancing negotiation work for the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Kathmandu, 16 September – In preparation for the forthcoming 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference (the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity) to be held from 19 to 30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, 60 negotiators and experts from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) participated in a training to strengthen their strategic and technical capacities crucial for the negotiations at COP17. The workshop was organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Jigme Singye Wangchuk School of Law in Bhutan.

With a particular focus on the CBD COP17 agenda, the workshop provided a platform for peer-to-peer learning, regional exchange, and the identification of regional trends and priorities.

“Mountain biodiversity is not a peripheral issue, but a central issue for global biodiversity and sustainable development. Yet, despite their importance, the vulnerabilities and opportunities of mountain regions are not always adequately reflected in global biodiversity negotiations and implementation frameworks. This is why platforms such as this workshop are so important. We need to ensure that the realities, knowledge, priorities, and voices of mountain countries and communities are visible and effectively represented in the Convention on Biological Diversity process.” Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD.

The workshop recognised the interconnectivity of the biodiversity and climate crises in the light of the recent severe flash flooding in the Langtang, Lhende Khola, and Trishuli river valleys acknowledging the need to mainstream biodiversity conservation. This requires strengthened knowledge and skills in navigating the nexus of biodiversity and climate change.

“The timing of this workshop is important. As we move towards CBD COP17, countries are working to translate the ambition of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into tangible action. The challenges facing biodiversity transcend national borders, and effective multilateralism depends on informed, prepared and collaborative negotiators.” Georgina Lloyd, Regional Coordinator, Environmental Law and Governance, UNEP.

The upcoming CBD COP17 is crucial to the revival of the Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity as an important agenda and mandated workstream. The Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity is an international framework adopted in 2004 by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to protect fragile mountain ecosystems and halt the loss of unique plant and animal species.

“What became apparent while researching the CBD materials, is that we have achieved very little 30 years after the birth of the Convention. We are losing our complex ecosystems around the world and particularly here in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. I am committed to this Convention, but we need to figure out how we get the voice of the HKH to make sure that it is not lost. We need to demand financing. We need to hold the world accountable, or else we will lose the rest of our biodiversity. ” Helen Lansdowne, Assistant Dean, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Law, JSW Law, Bhutan.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Erie Tamale, Head of Capacity Development and National Implementation Support Unit at the Montreal-based Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity noted that the workshop was very timely, taking place less than a month away from COP 17 in Yerevan, Armenia.

“In Yerevan, we expect to chart pathways for addressing the gaps and challenges identified in the global report on collective progress in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which was released by the CBD Secretariat mid this year,” Tamale said. “We should use the opportunity in Yerevan to negotiate and adopt practical solutions and “take action for nature” after Yerevan and beyond,” he added.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the main global decision-making body for this UN treaty dedicated to protecting nature, halting biodiversity loss, and ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. The Convention was signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and entered into force on 29 December 1993.

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