Shibbir Ahmed, New York – Nearly 200 countries are gathering in Armenia on Monday for crucial discussions on how to accelerate progress toward global nature protection targets, as governments face mounting pressure to deliver on a historic commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The United Nations conference, known as COP17, comes amid growing concerns that countries are falling behind on the goals agreed upon four years ago to protect and restore nature by the end of the decade.

Often described as the “Paris Agreement for nature,” the global biodiversity deal includes a landmark commitment to conserve 30 percent of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. However, progress toward many of its targets remains slow, with limited advances on some of the most challenging commitments, including reducing subsidies for fossil fuels and other environmentally harmful industries.

Speaking ahead of the formal negotiations, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday that countries needed to acknowledge the gap between their commitments and actual progress.

“We must honestly acknowledge that, collectively, we have not moved forward at the necessary pace,” he said.

The summit is taking place at a time when public funding is under pressure and political attention is increasingly focused on conflicts, geopolitical tensions and the global energy crisis. Only a small number of world leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, attended a high-level session before the formal negotiations began. Most of the participating leaders were heads of state from neighboring Central Asian countries.

Despite the limited high-level attendance, Guterres stressed the importance of the conference, warning that humanity’s continuing “war” against nature threatens the planet’s habitability for future generations.

“We need more action, more speed and more goodwill,” he said. With the world halfway through the period leading to the 2030 targets, Guterres described the gathering in Yerevan as a critical moment for accountability.

“We must ask ourselves: Are we doing enough?” he said.

A United Nations assessment released ahead of COP17 found that progress was being made toward the 23 global biodiversity targets. However, the report warned that progress remained uneven and insufficient to achieve the goals by the 2030 deadline.

Financing is expected to emerge as one of the most contentious issues during the negotiations. The assessment highlighted a substantial funding gap for biodiversity conservation, with efforts to mobilize the necessary resources lagging far behind requirements.

Developed countries, including European nations and other wealthy economies, have financial responsibilities under international biodiversity commitments. However, they have also called on major emerging economies, including China, to contribute more toward conservation financing.

Discussions may increasingly focus on how private-sector investment can help bridge the funding gap as governments struggle to provide sufficient public resources. One of the summit’s priorities is expected to be encouraging corporations to contribute a portion of their profits to a United Nations fund intended to support nature conservation in developing countries, which currently has very limited resources.

Reforming government subsidies for extractive industries is another major issue expected to feature prominently at the summit. Guterres criticized governments for continuing to direct public money toward environmentally damaging activities despite their commitments to reform harmful subsidies. Referring to fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, he said: “Subsidizing fossil fuels is subsidizing suicide.”

He warned that fossil fuels are heating the planet and posing a serious threat to biodiversity. Environmental advocates argue that redirecting public funds away from harmful industries and toward conservation could help countries make faster progress toward their international commitments.

For Armenia, the mountainous country in the Caucasus region, COP17 represents one of the largest international events it has hosted. Thousands of delegates and visitors are expected to arrive over the next two weeks for discussions on biodiversity protection, conservation financing and implementation of global environmental commitments. Organizers have emphasized that the success of COP17 will depend not on announcing new promises, but on delivering concrete action to fulfill existing commitments.

Speaking on Friday, Adil Najam, Global President of WWF International, said the world already had the necessary vision for protecting nature.

“The world does not need a new vision. We have one. What we need now is to implement it,” he said. As negotiations begin, countries face growing pressure to translate their biodiversity commitments into measurable results before the 2030 deadline, with financing, accountability and the reform of harmful subsidies likely to remain central to the discussions.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York – The United Nations’ 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) is set to begin on Monday, October 19, in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, bringing global attention to efforts to halt biodiversity loss and protect nature by 2030.

Running through October 30, the conference is expected to serve as a critical milestone in assessing global progress toward the ambitious targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. World leaders will face growing pressure to demonstrate how far their countries have progressed in translating environmental commitments into concrete action.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly warned against humanity’s destructive impact on nature and called for urgent action to reverse biodiversity loss. The Yerevan conference is expected to place accountability, implementation and international cooperation at the centre of discussions.

Adopted in 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provides a global roadmap for protecting and restoring nature. One of its most prominent goals is to conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s land, inland waters and marine areas by 2030, an objective widely known as the “30 by 30” target. The framework also calls for restoring degraded ecosystems, reducing pollution, reforming environmentally harmful subsidies and increasing financial resources for biodiversity conservation.

Under the agreement, countries have committed to mobilising at least $200 billion annually from public and private sources for biodiversity-related initiatives by 2030. It also sets a target of increasing international biodiversity finance for developing countries, which often face significant funding and technical constraints.

Despite growing international commitments, progress towards the 2030 biodiversity targets remains uneven, raising concerns about whether countries can meet their obligations within the remaining timeframe.

Assessments of conservation efforts indicate that current progress is insufficient to achieve the 30 by 30 target. Funding shortages, limited technical capacity, gaps in monitoring and data collection, and economic incentives that contribute to environmental damage continue to undermine conservation efforts.

According to a Reuters report, existing commitments and current progress could bring approximately 27 percent of the world’s land and inland waters under conservation by 2030. For marine areas, the projected figure is around 12 percent.

The gap between global commitments and implementation is expected to be a major focus of discussions in Yerevan, with delegates examining how governments can accelerate action and strengthen accountability.

Securing adequate funding for biodiversity protection is expected to be a key issue at COP17. The global target of mobilising $200 billion annually by 2030 will require stronger international cooperation, increased financial flows to developing countries and reforms to subsidies that harm nature.

Another important issue is the implementation of the Cali Fund, established to support the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the commercial use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.

The initiative aims to ensure that a portion of the benefits generated through the use of such information contributes to biodiversity conservation, including in countries and communities that play an important role in protecting natural resources. Developing effective mechanisms to distribute these benefits fairly will be important in building trust and ensuring that conservation efforts receive sustainable financial support.

Turning Commitments into ActionCOP17 is expected to provide an opportunity for countries to assess progress, identify implementation gaps and determine what additional measures are needed to achieve the 2030 targets.

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, has stressed the importance of coordinated international action to address existing shortcomings and accelerate implementation.

The conference will also test the willingness of governments to move beyond declarations and establish practical measures that can deliver measurable results. The outcome of COP17 could help shape international cooperation, biodiversity financing and accountability in the years leading up to 2030.

Ultimately, however, achieving the global biodiversity targets will depend on political commitment, adequate funding, effective monitoring and the ability of governments to translate promises into action before the deadline.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — With climate-related disasters intensifying and international efforts struggling to deliver sufficiently ambitious action, the United Nations is urging countries to rebuild trust in global climate cooperation ahead of the next UN climate conference, COP31, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. At a high-level meeting at UN Headquarters on October 16, representatives associated with successive climate conference presidencies discussed how governments could restore confidence in international climate action while responding more effectively to the growing consequences of global warming.

The event, convened by UN General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman, brought the climate process into focus less than a month before COP31. Discussions addressed adaptation, resilience, climate finance, technology transfer, capacity-building and international cooperation, with particular attention to countries most vulnerable to climate change.

The devastation caused by extreme weather in Nepal served as a stark reminder of the human cost of climate change. Opening the meeting, Rahman highlighted the gap between scientific warnings and the ability of communities and governments to prepare for increasingly dangerous events. He also warned of the implications of a strengthening El Niño, which could intensify climate-related risks in an already warming world.

According to the UN account of the meeting, current climate policies put the world on a trajectory toward approximately 2.8°C of warming above pre-industrial levels. That outlook remains far above the temperature limits established under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The figures underline the scale of the challenge facing governments: existing commitments and policies are not yet sufficient to keep global warming within the agreement’s goals.

The upcoming climate conference in Türkiye will provide governments with another opportunity to advance implementation of the Paris Agreement and strengthen international cooperation.
A central challenge will be converting national climate pledges into measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while improving countries’ capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change.

The European Union is preparing to push for a package of measures aimed at accelerating emissions reductions at COP31. According to a Reuters report published on October 12, the proposed approach includes extending the UN mitigation work programme beyond its current 2026 expiry and encouraging governments to translate existing commitments into practical action.

However, climate negotiations remain complicated by differences over national development priorities, fossil-fuel use and the financial support available to developing countries. The EU’s current proposal does not include new climate-finance commitments, a position that could create friction with lower-income countries seeking greater assistance to address climate impacts and transition to cleaner energy.

For developing countries, rebuilding trust in climate diplomacy will require more than declarations of ambition. Access to predictable financing, affordable technology and support for adaptation remains essential, particularly for countries facing severe climate risks despite contributing relatively little to historical greenhouse gas emissions. The UN meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening early-warning systems, improving disaster preparedness and ensuring that climate assistance reaches communities most exposed to extreme weather.

Least-developed countries, small island developing States, landlocked developing countries and low-lying coastal nations are among those with particularly pressing adaptation needs. For countries such as Bangladesh, where coastal communities face risks from cyclones, flooding, salinity and rising sea levels, the outcome of international negotiations on climate finance and resilience could have significant implications.

The difficulties extend beyond negotiations over emissions and finance. On October 16, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suspended a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, without reaching agreement on the timetable for its next major assessment of climate science. The dispute raises concerns about whether the assessment will be available in time to inform the next UN climate talks and the global review of progress under the Paris Agreement in 2028.

Reuters reported that a group of 30 countries called for progress, while other governments sought more time to ensure meaningful participation by scientists from countries with fewer resources.
The IPCC said discussions on the timetable and budget remain open and will resume at the earliest opportunity. The episode illustrates the wider diplomatic challenge: governments must agree not only on what action to take but also on how scientific evidence will inform their decisions.

The success of COP31 will depend on whether governments can bridge differences and demonstrate that international climate cooperation delivers practical results. That means stronger implementation of existing commitments, greater resilience to climate disasters, effective support for vulnerable communities and credible progress on emissions reductions.

As climate impacts become more visible, the pressure on governments to move beyond promises is growing. The coming weeks will test whether international climate diplomacy can rebuild confidence and generate concrete progress before the next major round of negotiations in Türkiye.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The race to select the next Secretary-General of the United Nations has entered a decisive phase, with Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan emerging as the narrow frontrunner in the latest informal Security Council poll. However, opposition from permanent members of the Council has left the contest without a clear winner. According to a Reuters report published on October 16, Grynspan secured nine votes marked “encourage,” five marked “discourage” and one “no opinion” in the sixth informal ballot. Crucially, two of the negative votes came from permanent members of the Security Council, whose positions carry decisive weight in the selection process.

The latest poll underscores the diplomatic challenge facing candidates seeking to succeed current Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026. No candidate has yet secured the support needed to overcome opposition from the Council’s five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Alongside Grynspan, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi and Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett remain prominent contenders. Both received eight “encourage” votes and six “discourage” votes in the latest poll, according to reporting by The National. Each also faced opposition from two permanent members.

Grynspan, a former Vice-President of Costa Rica and head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has called for significant reforms to make the world body more effective. In remarks reported by Reuters on October 15, she argued that the UN had become too risk-averse and called for stronger diplomatic engagement, more effective conflict prevention and a review of overlapping responsibilities across UN agencies. If elected, Grynspan would become the first woman to serve as UN Secretary-General since the organisation was founded in 1945.

The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. Under the established selection procedure, a candidate must obtain at least nine affirmative votes in the 15-member Council and avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members.

The latest ballot therefore does not amount to a final election. Instead, it offers an indication of the candidates’ standing and the diplomatic obstacles that must be overcome before the Council can recommend a nominee to the General Assembly.

The selection process remains open to further diplomatic negotiations and potentially additional candidates. With the end of Guterres’s term approaching, Council members face mounting pressure to reach an agreement in time for an orderly leadership transition.

The leadership contest comes at a time when the UN faces mounting pressure to respond to armed conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, geopolitical divisions and questions about the effectiveness of multilateral institutions. The next Secretary-General will be expected to strengthen the organisation’s ability to mediate conflicts, coordinate humanitarian assistance, advance sustainable development and uphold international law.

For now, Grynspan’s lead in the latest poll has not translated into a clear path to appointment. The decisive question remains whether any candidate can secure sufficient support among Council members while avoiding opposition from the five permanent powers.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — Bangladesh has reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their inalienable right to self-determination, urging urgent international action to end Israeli occupation, illegal settlement expansion and human rights violations.

Addressing the UN Security Council’s open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, on Friday, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Irene Khan, strongly condemned the devastation in Gaza and expressed deep concern over land confiscation, violence and illegal settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

“The deadlock in the Security Council has enabled Israel to operate with impunity,” Ambassador Khan said, calling for decisive action to stop annexation, forced displacement and human rights violations and to ensure accountability.

She stressed the importance of respecting the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and maintaining humanitarian assistance for Palestinians.

Ambassador Khan also condemned Israeli attacks and occupation in Syria and Lebanon, underscoring the need for an adequate UN presence in Lebanon and reaffirming Bangladesh’s support. She further condemned deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian airports that caused civilian casualties, including among Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Reiterating Bangladesh’s commitment to a Culture of Peace, Ambassador Khan urged all parties to protect civilians, exercise maximum restraint and uphold international humanitarian law.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold a quarterly open debate on Thursday on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, amid continuing regional tensions and concerns over the future of peace efforts.

The meeting is expected to focus on developments affecting Palestinians, the broader Middle East situation and international efforts to advance peace. The debate comes shortly after the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the Acting Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and UN Resident Coordinator, is expected to brief the Council, according to Security Council meeting previews. The debate also comes approximately one year after Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-brokered framework to end the Gaza conflict in October 2025. The UN Security Council subsequently endorsed the framework through Resolution 2803 in November 2025.

Council members are expected to discuss the implementation of peace efforts, the situation affecting Palestinians and the prospects for a lasting political settlement. The meeting is taking place under Greece’s presidency of the Security Council for October. The outcome of Thursday’s debate, including any new commitments or formal Council action, had not been confirmed in the available information at the time of writing.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The United Nations has warned of continuing security challenges along the Israel-Lebanon border as the future of its peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon remains uncertain ahead of the expiration of its current mandate at the end of 2026.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, has highlighted the importance of maintaining stability and ensuring that arrangements are in place to prevent renewed hostilities as the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) approaches the end of its mandate.

Established in 1978, UNIFIL monitors the situation along the Blue Line, the UN-designated boundary separating Lebanon from Israel. The mission also supports efforts to reduce tensions, facilitate humanitarian access and help maintain stability in southern Lebanon.

The future of the peacekeeping operation has become a significant concern amid continuing tensions in the region and questions about how security monitoring will be maintained after the mission’s mandate expires.

The Israel-Lebanon border has experienced repeated periods of violence, including exchanges of fire and military operations that have threatened civilians and damaged infrastructure. UN peacekeepers play an important role in monitoring developments, reporting violations and maintaining communication between the parties to reduce the risk of escalation.

The possible withdrawal or restructuring of the mission raises questions about how these responsibilities would be handled in the future. Any transition would require careful coordination to avoid creating a security vacuum along the sensitive border.

The United Nations has emphasized the importance of respecting the Blue Line and implementing Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 to help end that year’s Israel-Hezbollah conflict and establish arrangements for lasting security in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon continues to confront significant political, economic and security pressures. Instability along its southern border has contributed to displacement, damaged communities and complicated efforts to restore normal life in affected areas. Civilians remain particularly vulnerable to renewed fighting, while damage to homes, roads and essential services can make recovery difficult.

International diplomatic efforts have focused on preventing further escalation and strengthening the Lebanese state’s authority in the south. The role of UNIFIL remains part of wider discussions about implementing existing security arrangements and supporting long-term stability.

The future of UNIFIL will depend on decisions by the UN Security Council and consultations with relevant parties. Any changes to the mission will require consideration of the security environment, the needs of local communities and the arrangements necessary to preserve stability. The United Nations continues to stress that a lasting solution requires full implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, respect for the Blue Line and sustained diplomatic engagement.

As discussions over the mission’s future continue, international attention remains focused on whether effective security arrangements can be maintained and the risk of renewed conflict reduced. The decisions taken in the coming months could have significant implications for peacekeeping, civilian protection and stability along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The United Nations has reported encouraging progress toward ending Libya’s prolonged political deadlock but warned that continued divisions among rival political institutions, economic difficulties and fragile security conditions threaten the country’s path toward national elections. Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), delivered the warning during a briefing to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, October 14.

Tetteh said an agreement signed in Tripoli on August 30 by participants in a smaller political dialogue marked an important step toward overcoming the country’s prolonged institutional stalemate. The agreement outlines a path toward parliamentary and presidential elections under a unified executive authority within two years.

However, she cautioned that the progress remains fragile, with disagreements among political stakeholders threatening to undermine efforts to establish stable and unified national institutions. The agreement has received support from several Libyan and international actors, but the High Council of State rejected it on October 5. The disagreement has raised concerns about whether the parties can reach the consensus needed to advance the political process.

Tetteh warned that inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation could further harden political positions, weaken the willingness to compromise and encourage unilateral actions that could undermine the agreement or trigger renewed violence. She called on Libyan political leaders to engage constructively, overcome their differences and support a credible, peaceful electoral process. She also urged the international community to continue supporting diplomatic efforts and hold those obstructing progress accountable.

The UN envoy also highlighted the country’s deteriorating economic conditions, warning that political divisions are contributing to declining living standards and growing public frustration. Despite Libya’s substantial oil resources, many citizens continue to face rising prices and declining purchasing power. Tetteh cited inflation of approximately 14%, alongside concerns about fuel subsidies, widespread fuel smuggling and disruptions to oil production.

She warned that the closure of oilfields and pipelines was causing significant financial losses and threatening energy supplies and electricity generation. Libya’s dependence on oil revenues makes the economy particularly vulnerable to disruptions in production and exports. Political disagreements over state institutions and public resources have further complicated efforts to improve economic management and ensure that oil wealth benefits the wider population.

The envoy also drew attention to protests and strikes in the education and healthcare sectors over delayed salary increases and unpaid allowances, underscoring the pressure on public services.

Despite continuing instability, Tetteh welcomed recent efforts by military leaders from eastern and western Libya to strengthen cooperation. She highlighted initiatives to establish joint information-sharing and border-security coordination centers in Tripoli and Benghazi. Such measures could help improve coordination between security institutions that have operated under competing authorities.

However, she stressed that the overall security environment remains fragile and that sustained cooperation will be necessary to prevent renewed confrontations and support broader political reconciliation. The UN also expressed concern about inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation targeting migrants, refugees, humanitarian workers and UN personnel. Tetteh called for a halt to executions and a review of judicial procedures to ensure compliance with fair-trial standards.

Libya has struggled to restore unified political authority since the 2011 uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi’s rule. Rival power centers, competing institutions and disputes over the legal framework for elections have repeatedly obstructed efforts to establish a stable political system. The country’s national elections, originally scheduled for December 2021, were postponed indefinitely amid disagreements over electoral rules and the eligibility of candidates.

The latest agreement offers a possible route out of the stalemate, but its success will depend on whether the principal political actors accept the process and implement the necessary institutional reforms. Tetteh emphasized that progress toward elections cannot be separated from the need to strengthen the judiciary, unify state institutions and address broader security and economic challenges.

The UN is continuing consultations with Libyan stakeholders to build on the agreement and explore ways to make the political process more inclusive. The latest Security Council briefing underscored both the opportunity and the risks facing Libya: diplomatic progress has created renewed hope for a political settlement, but lasting stability will require compromise, institutional unity and sustained international support.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York: Bangladesh on Tuesday called for a strong international convention to prevent and punish crimes against humanity, urging special recognition and support for countries hosting victims of such atrocities.

Addressing the Sixth Committee of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Bangladesh delegate Muhammad Nawshad Zamir proposed three key provisions for the convention: cooperation in preserving evidence and protecting witnesses in receiving States; support for survivors, including access to justice at national and international levels; and international solidarity in sharing the burden borne by host countries.

Citing Bangladesh’s experience sheltering over one million Rohingya forcibly displaced from Myanmar, Zamir stressed that countries receiving victims must be integral to international accountability mechanisms. Referring to Bangladesh’s 2024 uprising, he cited a UN report estimating that up to 1,400 people were killed including children and calling for investigations into possible crimes against humanity.

Bangladesh also advocated universal jurisdiction, stronger extradition mechanisms and an end to impunity, while emphasizing prevention and justice for women and children. Zamir urged that the convention complement the Rome Statute and uphold the International Criminal Court’s independence. “A convention diluted until it offends no one will protect no one,” he warned.