The Ministry of Culture of Spain is participating for the first time in the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) on Biodiversity, with the 17th edition being held in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October. Together with the Council of Europe, the ministry is organising a side event titled ‘Cultural Landscapes and Biodiversity: Living Landscapes Worth Protecting’, scheduled for Saturday, 24 October, at 16:00 local time in Armenia's national pavilion.
This session will explore the reality of cultural landscapes as territories that express the connection between heritage and the environment, as well as between cultural heritage (both material and immaterial) and biodiversity. The aim is to provide a perspective that blurs the barriers between culture and the environment.
Notable participants in the event include Caroline Martin, Secretary of the Council of Europe’s Landscape Convention, Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and Antonio Antequera, Coordinator of the National Cultural Landscape Plan from the Ministry of Culture. Representatives from Armenia's Landscape Convention, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) will also be present.
During the event, the Ministry of Culture will present the National Cultural Landscape Plan, which was updated in 2025, and share various experiences and best practices developed in unique cultural landscapes across Spain, such as Ribeira Sacra, which hosted an international seminar by the Council of Europe in May, Priorat, the Vega de Granada, and the recent declaration of traditional irrigation systems as a Representative Manifestation of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
About the Conference of the Parties (COP)
The COP on Biodiversity serves as the primary global summit for protecting ecosystems, halting species loss, and reviewing compliance with international agreements like the Kunming-Montreal Framework, which sets biodiversity targets for 2030. The Spanish state is represented at this forum by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the government body responsible for reporting progress and leading negotiations at the state party level.
In parallel to the COP, a series of side events will take place, featuring round tables, expert panels, and discussion groups where leading global specialists will exchange ideas, experiences, and best practices.
