By P. Vangerline Kpotoe
MONROVIA, Nov. 03 (LINA) — The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo has told his counterparts at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) that conservation efforts must directly address the daily realities of communities if they are to succeed through accessible financing.
Delivering Liberia’s statement during the High-Level Segment held October 27, 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, Dr. Yarkpawolo emphasized that Liberia’s biodiversity — from forests and wetlands to the coastline and ocean — sustains livelihoods, noting that Liberia’s focus now is translating those commitments into measurable results for ecosystems and people.
Aligning Liberia’s position with that of the African Group, Dr. Yarkpawolo outlined four key priorities for consideration by Parties.
He said global ambition must be matched with concrete support, noting that the global review should not only assess biodiversity outcomes but also examine whether financing, technology and institutional capacity are actually available to deliver on those commitments.
On financing, he stressed that resources must be adequate, predictable, timely and accessible, and reaffirmed Liberia’s support for Africa’s call for a permanent and robust financial mechanism that is accountable to the Conference of the Parties, with simpler procedures and direct access for developing countries.
Dr. Yarkpawolo also emphasized that capacity development and technology transfer must be geared toward building lasting national institutions. For Liberia, he said, this means investing in trained wildlife responders, strengthening research and monitoring, equipping laboratories, and delivering public education in languages that communities understand.
On benefit-sharing, he called for fairness, stating that commercial users of Digital Sequence Information should contribute effectively to the Cali Fund, with benefits reaching developing countries, Indigenous peoples and local communities.
He further noted that biodiversity must be mainstreamed into key sectors including agriculture, fisheries, health and national development planning to ensure conservation delivers tangible results for both ecosystems and people.
On national progress, the EPA boss said Liberia has updated its national biodiversity targets and revised its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to align with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, creating a stronger foundation for conservation, sustainable use, and equitable benefit-sharing.
He called on Parties to ensure decisions provide “knowledge before fear takes over, assistance before wildlife is lost, and opportunities that make conservation meaningful.
“Liberia stands with Africa for action, accessible financing, and fairly shared benefits,” the EPA boss asserted.