In his address at a side event held in the Blue Zone of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), Ruben Khachatryan, Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), addressed the challenges of illegal wildlife trade in Armenia and the importance of state–civil society cooperation in combating them.
Addressing regional specifics, Ruben Khachatryan noted that Armenia’s geographical position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia creates certain risks regarding illegal wildlife trade and transit routes. According to him, this situation requires maximum transparency of processes and consistent tightening of oversight mechanisms.
In the context of practical steps, the FPWC Director presented the outcomes of the “Great Bear Rescue” initiative, through which the Foundation has rescued and provided care for over 50 bears since 2017. At the same time, he emphasized that achieving a systemic solution requires more than simply rescuing animals; sustainable infrastructure and clear legislative mechanisms are essential.
Among the actions underway in this direction, Ruben Khachatryan highlighted effective collaboration with state institutions, noting that legislative reforms are being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia and the Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body to prevent the illegal captivity and trade of wildlife and contribute to achieving Targets 4, 5, and 9 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).