Staff Writer
Zimbabwe will push for direct grants, fair benefit-sharing from genetic resources and stronger community rights when it joins nearly 200 countries at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026.
In a statement, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife said Zimbabwe would advocate for a biodiversity financing system that prioritises grants over debt and ensures developing countries receive fair benefits from their natural resources.
“The country will push for a robust, predictable global finance architecture that moves away from debt-creating mechanisms towards direct grants and streamlined access to the Global Environment Facility and dedicated biodiversity funds,” the ministry said.
The ministry said the summit would provide an important platform to review progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and ensure that Southern Africa’s conservation priorities and community rights were reflected in global discussions.
Zimbabwe’s delegation will include representatives from government ministries and agencies, among them the National Biotechnology Authority, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Environmental Management Agency and Forestry Commission.
On benefit-sharing from genetic resources, the ministry said Zimbabwe would press for the full implementation of an equitable mechanism under the Cali Fund.
“Zimbabwe will press for full operationalisation of an equitable, transparent multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing from the use of Digital Sequence Information on genetic resources, with clear allocation rules under the Cali Fund,” the ministry said.
The country will also advocate for stronger community rights, the protection of traditional ecological knowledge and greater participation by women in conservation initiatives.
The ministry said Zimbabwe would promote land tenure rights, Free, Prior and Informed Consent, and the recognition of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in biodiversity conservation.
On wildlife management, Zimbabwe will call for policies that balance conservation with sustainable resource use, rural economic development and measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The ministry said the country had made progress in strengthening its conservation framework through the Third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2030, alongside new wildlife and forestry policies.
Under the National Development Strategy 2, Zimbabwe is developing a biodiversity economy built around five pillars: wildlife, forestry, fisheries, bio-trade and payments for ecosystem services.
The delegation is expected to participate in Finance Day on 26 October, gender-focused engagements on 27 October and the High-Level Ministerial Segment on 27 and 28 October, where Zimbabwe will present its position on sustainable resource use, climate resilience and equitable biodiversity financing.