Thailand Advances Global Biodiversity Goals at COP17 in Armenia

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Supachai Chomklin assigned Permanent Secretary Dr. Rawiwan Phuridech to deliver Thailand's statement at the high-level segment of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) on October 28 in Yerevan, Republic of Armenia, to demonstrate Thailand's position and commitment to advancing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) to achieve targets by 2030.

Dr. Rawiwan thanked the Armenian government and people for hosting the meeting, noting that the global review agenda item on KM-GBF implementation progress will help countries identify gaps and obstacles, determine corrective measures, accelerate implementation, and enhance mechanisms to meet the 2030 targets and 2050 vision.

For Thailand's implementation, the government is driving the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and preparing to integrate it into the next National Economic and Social Development Plan to ensure policy coherence for transitioning the country toward a nature-positive, climate-resilient future.

Additionally, the Thai government is collaborating with the private sector, civil society, and local communities to expand Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to advance the 30x30 target, alongside conservation of the country's iconic species and promotion of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to create shared benefits for biodiversity, climate change, water security, and protection of community livelihoods. Thailand is also pushing for its first Biodiversity Act and preparing to become a party to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization.

The Permanent Secretary also highlighted Thailand's success in issuing Sustainability-Linked Bonds with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) covering climate change targets under NDC 3.0 and biodiversity conservation targets for 30x30, while currently studying the feasibility of Biodiversity Credits to mobilize funding from various sectors and enable measurable biodiversity outcomes.

However, despite significant progress, Thailand still faces major challenges regarding invasive alien species management, requiring international cooperation, information exchange, and joint action to prevent both illegal and unintentional cross-border movement. The Permanent Secretary emphasized Thailand's readiness to cooperate with all member states and partners across sectors to drive the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework to success for the sustainable survival of humanity and nature.