Maldives confirms participation in COP17 biodiversity summit in Armenia

Maldives has confirmed that a delegation will take part in the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), scheduled to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 19 to 31, 2026. The delegation will be led by Director of Environmental Conservation Dr. Ilham Atho Mohamed. It also includes Policy Communication Strategist Midhuhath Abdur Rasheed, Principal International Relations Officer Fathimath Usra, Protected Areas Management Analyst Aishath Amal, and Conservation Analyst Hawwa Nabaha Nashid. The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy said the delegation would primarily work to ensure that the Maldives' views and priorities on protecting the environment and biodiversity are fully reflected in the decisions taken at the meeting. The ministry described the conference as a very important opportunity for an island nation with a fragile environment like the Maldives to raise its voice at the international level.