Qatar took part 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 session was part of the wider 2026 UN Biodiversity Conference, running from October 19 to 30 and hosted by Armenia.
Qatar was represented by HE Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. In his address, Dr al-Subaie emphasized that biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection, both terrestrial and marine, are central national priorities aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030.
He highlighted that approximately 27% of Qatar’s land area is currently designated as protected terrestrial space, with the country targeting protection of 30% of both terrestrial and marine environments by 2030. The government also aims to restore 30% of natural habitats within the same timeframe.
Dr al-Subaie noted the significance of the conference as the first global review of collective progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Qatar hopes the discussions will lead to concrete actions to advance international biodiversity commitments and generate measurable outcomes nationally.
The minister outlined Qatar’s efforts to integrate the GBF goals into its development plans and transform international obligations into specific national programs subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Recent steps include updating national biodiversity targets and drafting the general framework for the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy. The accompanying national action plan, currently under development, will establish priorities, implementation measures, and indicators to track progress.
Collaboration with national entities, research institutions, universities, and the private sector has played a key role in the ministry’s work, including initiatives to conserve ecosystems and protect species such as dugongs. Between 2019 and 2026, efforts have covered 76 meadows and natural sites, with plans to expand protection and rehabilitation to 500 sites by 2030.
On the international front, Dr al-Subaie called for enhanced funding for biodiversity conservation, stronger capacity-building, technology transfer, and attention to the particular needs of developing countries, especially those facing arid and hyper-arid conditions. He also urged greater international cooperation in scientific data sharing and technical expertise, alongside embedding biodiversity considerations into broader development policies.
He stressed that coordinated global action is critical to achieving the GBF targets and reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to bolstering national biodiversity conservation, supporting international implementation efforts, and safeguarding natural resources for future generations.