COP17 and Armenia: biodiversity conservation agenda discussed at YSU SSS conference

A panel discussion dedicated to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) was held as part of the 12th International Youth Conference of the YSU Student Scientific Society.

Organized jointly by the student scientific societies of the Faculties of Biology, Law and International Relations, the discussion focused on the significance of COP17 for Armenia in terms of biodiversity conservation, environmental security, international cooperation and the country's international presence. Bringing together representatives of different disciplines, the panel examined the COP17 agenda from environmental, legal and political perspectives.

The panelists included bioethics expert and researcher Tigran Hayrapetyan; Olympia Geghamyan, PhD in Law and Associate Professor; Narine Zakaryan, PhD in Biology and Associate Professor; Siranush Melikyan, PhD in Political Science; and Lusine Hambaryan, Associate Professor at the Chair of Ecology and Nature Conservation of the Faculty of Biology and senior researcher at the Hydroecology Scientific Center.

In the first part of the discussion, the speakers answered general questions and shared perspectives from their respective fields of expertise. The discussion highlighted that biodiversity conservation extends beyond environmental concerns and also involves legal, political and security issues. Particular emphasis was placed on the significance of hosting COP17 in Armenia. According to the speakers, the event provides an opportunity to link global environmental challenges with Armenia's national priorities.

One of the central topics was environmental security as a key component of national security. The speakers noted that the protection of natural resources, ecosystems and biodiversity is now directly linked to the stability and security of countries.

In the second part, the panelists answered questions directed at each of them, allowing a deeper examination of specific topics and more focused expert perspectives.

The speakers also addressed the opportunities COP17 presents for Armenia. They noted that such an international platform could contribute not only to discussions on environmental issues but also to strengthening Armenia's international presence and establishing new partnerships. They also emphasized that environmental security issues are interconnected with broader economic, political and geopolitical developments.

The panel concluded with a "short question, short answer" session, during which each speaker answered brief questions to facilitate a quick comparison of different expert perspectives.

The discussion helped students explore COP17's objectives and challenges in greater depth and consider them from different disciplinary perspectives.

Attendees included YSU students, faculty members, international conference participants, and other guests.