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.