Zimbabwe to push for biodiversity funding, community rights at COP17 summit

ZIMBABWE will next week participate in the 17th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP17), scheduled to take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 19 to 30, 2026.

The country says it will push for equitable financing, fair benefit-sharing arrangements and the protection of community rights during the global biodiversity negotiations.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife said Zimbabwe would advocate for measures that ensure biodiversity-rich countries and local communities benefit fairly from conservation efforts.

COP17 will run alongside the 12th meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol and the sixth meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol. The meetings will be preceded by the “Leaders for Nature” Summit on October 16.

The conference will review progress towards implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets global targets for protecting and restoring biodiversity.

Zimbabwe’s delegation, led by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, will include officials from the ministries responsible for Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Finance, as well as representatives from the National Biotechnology Authority, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Forestry Commission.

As a biodiversity-rich nation managing wildlife and forestry complexes, Transfrontier Conservation Areas and critical ecosystems, Zimbabwe says “its engagement is pivotal to align global conservation ambitions with national socio-economic imperatives and rural livelihood security.”

At the negotiations, Zimbabwe will advocate for “a robust and accessible finance architecture, moving from debt-creating mechanisms toward direct grants and streamlined access to the Global Environment Facility.”

The country will also push for the full operationalisation of an equitable benefit-sharing mechanism for Digital Sequence Information, alongside clear allocation rules under the Cali Fund to ensure that returns reach biodiversity-rich countries and local communities.

The delegation will further advocate for the protection of land tenure rights, traditional ecological knowledge and Free, Prior and Informed Consent. It will also press for the implementation of Targets 2 and 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Zimbabwe is expected to champion the Gender Plan of Action, calling for gender-disaggregated data, secure land tenure for women and funding for women-led conservation initiatives.

The country will also advocate for policies that balance biodiversity conservation with sustainable resource use, human-wildlife conflict mitigation and rural development, while urging caution over One Health interventions to safeguard livelihoods.

Zimbabwe’s delegation is scheduled to attend Finance Day on October 26, the Women’s Forum on October 27 and the Ministerial Segment on October 27 and 28, when the country will deliver its National Statement.

The government says Zimbabwe continues to demonstrate leadership under the Convention through initiatives including the Third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2030, new wildlife and forestry policies, a review of the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) and the expansion of protected areas.

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