On 8-10 June 2026, biodiversity experts and National Focal Points from Central and Eastern European countries, Armenia and Türkiye gathered in Budapest, Hungary, for the latest CO-OP4CBD regional workshop and networking session. 

Organised by HUN-REN CER, the French National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) and the Hungarian Ministry for the Living Environment (Biodiversity and Gene Conservation Department), this session aimed to strengthen regional cooperation and support effective participation in UN CBD processes.

For three days, participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences and lessons learned on COP17 preparations, the 7th National Reports (NR7), the upcoming Global Biodiversity Report, the Technical and Scientific Cooperation Mechanism (TSC), the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM), expert engagement and the role of traditional knowledge in biodiversity governance.

The event’s agenda included presentations by experts from the UN CBD Secretariat (Jillian Campbell, Kristina Taboulchanas and Abhinav Prakash), representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Environment and the Hungarian Ministry for the Living Environment, as well as CO-OP4CBD members. 

These presentations highlighted the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing and capacity building in achieving global biodiversity goals and were followed by valuable discussions. 

Find training materials from this session here.