GFCR at the UN Biodiversity Conference

The seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will take place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October 2026. The biennial meeting will convene representatives from governments, multilateral organisations, development finance institutions, philanthropic organisations, private sector actors, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and civil society to undertake the first global stocktake of collective progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

With less than five years remaining to achieve the biodiversity targets, it will provide a critical platform to advance action to avert ecosystem collapse, including diversifying financial resources to scale up implementation across the biodiversity and sustainable development agendas, and to identify the mechanisms needed to turn ambition into results at scale.

On the Front Lines of Triple Planetary Crises: Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, with 44 per cent of the world's warm-water reef-building coral species now threatened with extinction. Despite occupying just 0.2 per cent of the ocean floor, they support a quarter of all marine species and underpin the food security, livelihoods and coastal protection of close to one billion people.COP17 closely follows the latest findings from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network assessment which indicate that mass bleaching events now occur every 5-6 years, narrowing the windows for reef recovery.

Healthy reefs sustain a wide range of ecosystem services, including food sources and livelihoods, coastal protection, habitat grounds for marine life, nutrient cycling, tourism, and cultural values. As these services deteriorate, their consequences cascade through economies and societies, threatening food security, ocean function, coastal resilience and the safety of hundreds of millions of people. This reinforces the need for urgent action, not only from a biodiversity standpoint – but from a humanitarian perspective. Every delay narrows what can be saved, increases the cost of intervention and places more communities at risk.

GFCR’s Role in Mainstreaming Biodiversity Implementation Action

As a leading ocean finance platform and recognised GBF implementation vehicle, GFCR will demonstrate proven public-private pathways, showcase significant investment opportunities, and drive collaboration toward greater GBF delivery. Following more than five years of implementation, GFCR will aim to mobilise action around a vetted, nature-positive pipeline of investment opportunities – including more than 200 businesses and financial mechanisms, across 22 countries that address local drivers of ecosystem degradation. The pipeline is derived and led by a network of over 300 local and international partners and is ready to scale up and continue delivering 21 of the 23 GBF targets.

At COP17, GFCR will showcase portfolio results, investment-ready pipelines, and blended finance approaches that mobilise public, private, and philanthropic capital for biodiversity and socioeconomic outcomes. It will also share lessons from developing investable conservation models that can be replicated and scaled.

Snapshot of GFCR Engagements

All sessions take place in the Blue Zone in the Meridian Expo Center

Why the Coral Triangle Matters for Effective and Equitable Target 3 Implementation

📅 Wednesday, 21 October | 🕒 15:00 – 16:00 | 📍 Talin – Side-event Room 1

Organised by: Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The side-event will explore how the Coral Triangle which is one of the world’s most important marine biodiversity regions can serve as a regional pathway for effective and equitable implementation of Target 3 on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). It will also showcase GFCR’s regional approach to outcome-based sustainable financing for conservation drawing on proven finance models, partnership opportunities, and synergies for scaling regional implementation. Link to further information.

United for Ocean Biodiversity: The Role of UN-Oceans and its Members in the Implementation and Monitoring of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

📅 Wednesday, 22 October | 🕒 13:15 – 14:30 | 📍 Aparan – JUSCANZ Meeting Room

Organised by: CBD, UNDOALOS, IMO, CITES, UNFCCC Secretariat, CMS, UNEP, FAO, UN ESCAP, IAEA, OHCHR, UNODC

UN-Oceans is an inter-agency mechanism that enhances the coordination, coherence and effectiveness of competent UN organizations and the International Seabed Authority, comprising 33 members. This side event highlights UN-Oceans members' contributions to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) in marine and coastal areas, including guidance and support to countries, and their role in monitoring, assessment and reporting, including national reporting. GFCR will discuss opportunities to strengthen UN-Oceans cooperation to accelerate rights-based KMGBF implementation and enhance monitoring and reporting, both now and ahead of the second global review of progress at COP19 in 2030.

COP17 Emergency Special Session on Coral Reefs

📅 Sunday, 25 October | 🕒 11:15 – 12:00 | 📍 By Invitation

Organised by: UNEP, GCFR and partners

Convened by the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean and UN partners, the Emergency Special Session on Coral Reefs at CBD COP17 will unite governments, Indigenous Peoples and local community representatives, scientists, finance institutions, philanthropies, and conservation delivery partners to accelerate action as the window for coral reef action rapidly closes. Presenting the best available science, the session will highlight the priority reefs, urgent interventions and investment-ready needs already identified by countries and implementation partners. It will examine the key barriers to delivery and help build greater alignment around proven and scalable interventions. It will also explore how public-private solutions and the strategic use of public finance can mobilise greater resources for coral reefs in the long term.

Finance and Biodiversity Day Panel on Financing Critical and Underfunded Ecosystems and Biomes

📅 Monday, 26 October | 🕒 17:00 – 18:00 | 📍 Room CG3

Organised by: CBD Secretariat

This session will explore approaches to mobilising finance for critical and underfunded ecosystems, including oceans, coastal ecosystems and small island states. It will address how these ecosystems can move beyond short-term, project-based funding toward longer-term, predictable financing that matches the scale and time horizons conservation and resilience require. The panel will feature GFCR, IDB, an Indigenous representative, and other government representatives, and will highlight GFCR's unique experience as a UN backed innovative financing mechanism in mobilising and deploying finance for blue economy solutions.

Sustainable Ocean Night – High-Level CBD COP17 Reception

📅 Monday, 26 October | 🕒 18:30 – 21:30 | 📍 By Invitation

Organised by: CBD Secretariat

The dinner reception will bring together ministers, heads of organisations, and ocean leaders to take stock of progress towards the KMGBF, celebrate momentum, and chart a clear course for accelerating measurable action for a healthy and resilient ocean. The programme will feature high-level interventions, candid conversation among leading ocean voices, and an announcements segment with new commitments and announcements.The session will provide a platform for GFCR to deliver a new wave of commitments to accelerate action towards 2030.

Our Reefs, Our Future: Coral Reefs and the Global Biodiversity Framework 

📅 Tuesday, 27 October | 🕒 13:00 – 14:15 | 📍 Ocean Pavilion

Organised by: WWF International, Wildlife Conservation Society, Nature Conservancy, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network

Consistent with the aims of the Our Reefs, Our Future campaign, this event will showcase the implementation of coral reef commitments, highlighting concrete government and partner action on reef protection and management. Funders including GFCR, GCF, GEF, Bloomberg Ocean Initiative and Oceans 5 will exchange views about current and prospective investment in coral reef resilience, reinforcing the case for scaled ocean financing. Building on the support for the High-Level Coral Reef Commitment, it will generate visible momentum and concrete follow-up connections between governments, funders and delivery partners heading toward COP31 and beyond.

Women Ocean Guardians: Closing the Gender Gap in Ocean Governance

📅 Tuesday, 27 October | 🕒 15:00 – 16:15 | 📍 GEF Pavilion

Organised by: Women Ocean Guardians, GEF, Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International

As COP17 reviews collective progress on the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the event will address the urgent need to accelerate implementation of Target 23 on gender equality. Women Ocean Guardians offers a practical way to respond to gaps in women's participation and leadership in biodiversity governance by connecting women at the forefront of marine conservation with governments, conservation partners, and sources of finance. As an early signatory to the Women Ocean Guardians Voluntary Commitment, GFCR will delve into its role in unlocking financial resources for women-led marine conservation initiatives, and the role of blended finance in turning ambition into sustained action for gender-responsive biodiversity financing.

Reef Investment Showcase: Investable Ridge-to-Reef Pipelines

📅 Tuesday, 27 October | 🕒 16:00 – 16:45 | 📍 Business and Finance Hub

Organised by: GFCR, Blue Alliance, TNC, WWF, Outrigger, Germany BMZ, UNDP, UNEP, KI

This session will showcase how catalytic capital can help unlock the potential of locally rooted businesses positioned to address key ecosystem threats, moving them from early-stage support towards investment readiness and scale. Featuring business pipelines from Indonesia and Micronesia as case studies, the session will highlight the impact potential and investment needs of enterprises that are often overlooked by mainstream investors.The dialogue will also examine what different capital providers need to participate, and how partnerships can make successful financing approaches more replicable across regions and sectors.

Financing Healthy Watersheds: Nature-Based Solutions for Water, Biodiversity and Climate Resilience

📅 Thursday, 29 October | 🕒 18:00 – 19:00 | 📍 Netherlands Pavilion

Organised by: GFCR and IISD

Healthy watersheds are essential for resilient communities, ecosystems and economies, but financing their restoration and long-term management remains chronically fragmented. Drawing on practical evidence and lessons learned from GFCR’s portfolio, including demonstration of the recent investment in Sanivation along Kenya’s coast, as well as IISD’s SUNCASA project in three African cities, this information session will explore how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can address integrated water challenges whilst delivering economic, social and environmental benefits. Discussions will also explore practical pathways for blended finance approaches, replication of proven models, and crowd-in of follow-on capital.