EVENTS
IPSI at CBD COP17
2026.09.23
The 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026. The conference will bring together governments, Indigenous Peoples, businesses, youth, civil society, academia, observer organizations and the general public for the first Global Review of Collective Progress on implementing the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Discussions will focus on halting biodiversity loss, sustainable management of natural resources, ecosystem restoration, the links between climate change and biodiversity, and strengthening finance and international cooperation.
IPSI will be present at COP17 through side events showcasing how socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) and community-led action can contribute to implementing the GBF.
Side Events
Side events are open to conference participants. Below is a list of side events organized by IPSI members.
Event information will be updated as more details become available.
People, Culture and Biodiversity: Advancing Area-based Conservation Potential in Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS)
This side event will explore how SEPLS can advance area-based conservation outcomes and the goals of the GBF. Since its launch at CBD COP10 in 2010, IPSI has focused on conservation outcomes in SEPLS, some of which are already designated as protected areas, contribute to sustainable agriculture, fisheries and restoration, or may be recognized as other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). As OECM recognition requires assessment against criteria consistent with the relevant CBD decision, the event will discuss how areas where people and nature interact in mutually reinforcing ways can support more effective and inclusive conservation.
Time: 20 October 2026, 18:15–19:45
Location: Aparan – JUSCANZ Meeting Room, Meridian Exhibition Center
Organizers: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA); UNU-IAS; Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD); Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ); and UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme.
More details are available on the UNU-IAS website.
Advancing the GBF through Local Action: Insights from COMDEKS Phase 4 and the Satoyama Initiative
Drawing on the experience of technical experts and field practitioners, this side event will highlight how the Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative (COMDEKS), a flagship programme of IPSI, contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and key GBF targets. The event will showcase locally led solutions to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, and discuss the links between local economic development, resilience and ecosystem restoration.
Time: 26 October 2026, 13:15–14:15
Location: Spitak – Side Event Room 2, Meridian Exhibition Center
Organizers: Keidanren Nature Conservation Council (KNCC); Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD); Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ); UNU-IAS; IPSI Secretariat; and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
More details are available on the UNU-IAS website.
Green Zone
The Green Zone will serve as an open and publicly accessible platform that brings together innovative ideas, community initiatives, and practical solutions for environmental protection. It is designed for a broad audience, including young people, civil society organizations, the scientific and academic community, artists, innovators, media representatives, and all interested members of the public.
Event information will be updated as more details become available.
Financing Nature with Integrity: Building High-Integrity Biodiversity Credit Markets for the Global South
Biodiversity finance should pay for real, measurable ecological change. To do that, finance needs to respect rights, attract investors, be independently verified and return value to the people who look after biodiversity-rich landscapes. This session will look at what is still missing to turn biodiversity ambitions into credible finance.
Time: 22 October 2026, 17:45–19:15 AMT
Location: Main Stage, Green Zone
Organizers: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Value Network Ventures (VNV)