Yerevan, October 28 (QNA) - Qatar participated in the High-Level Segment of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), held in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 27-28.

The segment was held as part of the 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference, hosted by Armenia from October 19 to 30.

Qatar was represented at the meeting by HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie.

In his address, HE the Minister said biodiversity conservation and the protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems are key national priorities, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030.

He noted that terrestrial protected areas cover around 27% of Qatar's land area. By 2030, the country aims to protect 30% of its terrestrial and marine areas and restore 30% of natural habitats.

HE the Minister underscored the significance of the current conference, which marks the first global review of collective progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Qatar hopes the discussions will yield concrete measures to accelerate the fulfillment of international commitments and deliver measurable national results, he said.

He added that Qatar had aligned its national priorities with the framework’s goals and targets, integrated biodiversity objectives into its development plans, and translated its international commitments into specific national programs subject to monitoring and evaluation.

Qatar had also recently updated its national biodiversity targets and prepared the general framework for its National Biodiversity Strategy, he said. Work is underway to finalize the strategy and its accompanying national action plan, which will define national priorities, establish implementation programs and set measurable indicators to track progress.

HE the Minister outlined the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change's efforts, in cooperation with national entities, research institutions, universities and the private sector, to conserve ecosystems and protect wildlife. These initiatives include monitoring whale sharks, protecting dugongs, and safeguarding and rehabilitating meadows and other natural sites.

He said these efforts covered 76 meadows and natural sites between 2019 and 2026, noting that Qatar aims to protect and rehabilitate 500 sites by 2030.

At the international level, HE the Minister called for increased funding for biodiversity conservation, stronger support for capacity-building and the transfer of appropriate technologies, and greater consideration of the specific needs of developing countries, particularly those with arid and hyper-arid climates.

He also called for closer international cooperation in sharing scientific and technical data and expertise, as well as for biodiversity considerations to be integrated into development policies and plans. He stressed that concerted global action is essential to achieving the targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

HE the Minister reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to strengthening national biodiversity conservation efforts, supporting international action to accelerate implementation of the global framework, and preserving natural resources for future generations. (QNA)