BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 16. The “Environmental Protection First” coalition has addressed representatives of civil society, states and international environmental organizations regarding Armenia’s hosting of COP17, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Statement of the Environmental Protection First NGO coalition
As the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) kicks off in Armenia, the Environmental Protection First NGO Coalition addresses global civil society, states, and international environmental organizations.
While the stated theme of COP17 focuses on acting for nature and halting biodiversity loss, we are compelled to call out the double standards of hosting a global biodiversity summit in a country whose own environmental record is marked by severe ecological degradation, transboundary pollution, and systemic ecocide.
True environmentalism cannot coexist with double standards, a selective approach, and greenwashing. We call on all participants and delegates attending COP17 to look beyond the rhetoric and directly confront the glaring environmental contradictions rooted in Armenia’s domestic and transboundary policies.
We also call on the participants of COP17 in Armenia to raise these issues whenever and wherever possible during the summit.
- The Chemical Destruction of the transboundary Rivers by Armenia: For decades, toxic waste containing heavy metals discharged by the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine and the Kapan Mining and Processing Plant has severely polluted the Okhchuchay River. This once-vibrant watercourse was turned into a toxic, rust-colored chemical swamp, completely destroying all aquatic biodiversity in the areas and including the settlements historically populated by Western Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia, hindering their future return to their ancestral homes in dignity;
- Ecological Devastation of Azerbaijani lands during the three decades of occupation by Armenia. Azerbaijan’s Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur regions were subjected to widespread devastation, deforestation, and resource exploitation by Armenia;
- Hazardous Industrial Projects Near the Azerbaijan Border: Armenia’s push for heavy industrial and metallurgical projects close to the international border with Azerbaijan, such as the controversial plans for a metallurgical plant in Yeraskh / Arazdeyen near the Azerbaijan border, demonstrates a reckless disregard for transboundary environmental safety;
- Unchecked Mining and Upstream Pollution: Ongoing mining operations and inadequate toxic waste management in Armenia continue to pose severe upstream pollution risks, threatening the ecological balance, soil fertility, and water resources of Azerbaijan;
- Armenia must join the UN Water Convention: Armenia is not only not a party to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (the UN Water Convention), but also refuses to cooperate with neighboring countries. It is unacceptable for a state responsible for long-term transboundary environmental damage and ecosystem destruction to project an image of environmental stewardship while avoiding doing the bare minimum by signing international conventions.
True global cooperation for biodiversity requires honesty, transparency, and a genuine commitment to repairing and protecting our shared natural heritage. The international community must not allow high-level summits to be used as a smokescreen while regional ecosystems suffer from unaddressed environmental crises because of Armenia.
