COP 17 – Taking Action for Nature
CBD COP17 (19 October 2026, Yerevan)
Day 1 opened with high-level speeches, organizational matters, and the launch of working groups and contact groups. The focus was on translating the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) into measurable action, with strong emphasis on Indigenous Peoples, protected areas, marine biodiversity, and financing commitments.
• Momentum built around the Yerevan Declaration and the need for transformative action.
• Finance, Indigenous rights, and biodiversity monitoring emerged as priority themes.
• The tone was set for intense negotiations in the coming days, especially on accountability and funding mechanisms.
• The African Group (including South Africa) emphasized equitable benefit-sharing and finance, which ties directly to sustainable use of biodiversity and wildlife economies.
Proudly South African Delegation
Emphasis are on advancing priorities around biodiversity finance, implementation support, technology/capacity, digital sequence information, and equitable access and benefit-sharing.
- Narend Singh – Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment; head of the South African delegation and DFFE negotiating team.
- Ms. Mohlago Flora Mokgohloa, South Africa’s Deputy Director‑General for Biodiversity and Conservation, plays a central role at the CBD as the head of the South African delegation. She oversees policy, legislation, and implementation of biodiversity programmes, and represents South Africa in negotiations on multilateral environmental agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
- Lactitia Tshitwamulomoni Director: Wildlife Economy Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, is the advocate of South Africa’s Wildlife Economy agenda at CBD, ensuring that sustainable use is not sidelined but recognized as a cornerstone of biodiversity policy and practice. She co-chair Contact Group 2 Contact Group on Agenda item Sustainable Wildlife Management
