The Council of Europe took part in the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), held in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026, organising and participating in several side events and holding bilateral meetings with key partners and stakeholders.
Through its contributions to CBD COP17, the Council of Europe highlighted the importance of integrating human rights, democracy and the rule of law into biodiversity governance. It also presented its work in the context of COP17's global review of collective progress, drawing particular attention to the links between biodiversity, human rights, public participation and access to justice.
The Council of Europe’s participation covered a range of issues at the intersection of biodiversity, human rights and environmental governance. In particular, it contributed to discussions on human rights and biodiversity frameworks, highlighting the importance of ensuring that the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is guided by a human rights-based approach.
The Council of Europe also presented its work on nature conservation and biodiversity protection. It shared pan-European biodiversity findings and conservation initiatives, while the Bern Convention’s contribution to the protection of natural habitats, ecological connectivity and migratory species was highlighted. The Bern Convention’s case-file system was also presented as a tool for strengthening accountability and the implementation of biodiversity protection measures.
The Council of Europe’s contribution further addressed the role of criminal law in addressing environmental crime, with a focus on the new Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law, which establishes an international legal framework to prevent and combat environmental offences. Discussions also explored the relationship between cultural landscapes and biodiversity in the context of the Landscape Convention, recognising landscapes as living heritage and highlighting their importance for biodiversity conservation.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities brought attention to the contribution of local and regional authorities to biodiversity protection. It presented a new report proposing sub-national action plans, innovative finance and other new policies to promote biodiversity and help meet national and international commitments.
The Council of Europe worked closely with member States and different international partners in organising and contributing to the side events, including the Armenian Presidency of COP17, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the European Environment Agency and the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention).
Rafael Benitez, Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment, who led the Council of Europe’s delegation to CBD COP17, also had bilateral meetings with Ministers of Environment, international partners and stakeholders. These exchanges provided an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Strategy on Environment 2025-2030, which is being spear-headed by the Steering Committee on Environment (CDENV) and strengthen international cooperation.
Through its participation in CBD COP17, the Council of Europe reaffirmed its commitment to promoting a human rights-based approach to environmental protection and strengthening the links between biodiversity, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Read the statement delivered by Rafael Benitez, Council of Europe Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment during the High-Level Segment of CBD COP17: 17th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) - Human Rights and Rule of Law.
