by Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group
27 October 2026
International environmental negotiations are not only about the conservation of rare species and ecosystems. They are also forums where states agree on common commitments, identify global priorities, and influence how the world responds to environmental threats.
For Ukraine, participation in these processes is particularly important. Russia uses environmental issues to whitewash its image and justify the occupation of Ukrainian territories. Therefore, it is important not only to inform the world about the consequences of the war for nature, but also to respond directly to Russian manipulations.
In October 2026, the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG) joined the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan. The organisation worked with international partners and held a side event on biodiversity conservation during wartime and post-conflict recovery. The head of UNCG, Oleksii Vasyliuk, explains the importance of this work.
Why Ukraine Needs International Protected Areas and Environmental Agreements
Ukraine is a party to ten environmental conventions. One of the most important is the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which defines common approaches to nature conservation. International agreements help states align their priorities, particularly regarding species and ecosystems that require special attention.
“People often think that the most valuable wildlife is somewhere far away, in the Amazon, Madagascar, or other equatorial countries. What we have seems ordinary. But international conservation statuses and environmental standards show that the nature outside our window may be no less valuable than that of the Amazon or Madagascar,” Oleksii Vasyliuk notes.
Participation in international processes is also important for protecting Ukrainian interests. Russia attempts to present itself as a state that cares about nature, including in occupied territories, while accusing Ukraine of failing to protect the environment properly.
“The Russian Federation very actively uses such platforms to demonstrate that Russia is effectively protecting nature, particularly in Crimea and Donbas, while Ukraine is not. To other states that are unfamiliar with our situation, Russia tries to present itself as responsible and competent in environmental matters,” says Oleksii Vasyliuk.
The UNCG is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and has observer status under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. These platforms allow Ukrainian specialists to present their own position, participate in discussions, and respond to false statements.
“If Ukrainian representatives are not present at events where it is necessary to respond to the aggressor's false statements, we will lose. Russia will use every opportunity to present itself in the best possible light,” the conservationist explains.
According to Vasyliuk, during the IUCN Congress in 2025, Ukrainian representatives managed to counter Russia’s attempt to revise its status within the organisation and weaken the consequences of sanctions. This experience confirmed that the presence of Ukrainian specialists is important not only for exchanging expertise but also for countering political manipulation.
COP17: From Discussing the Consequences of War to Joint Decisions
At COP17 in Yerevan, UNCG worked alongside the official Ukrainian delegation. Representatives of the organisation spoke about the damage caused by Russian aggression to protected areas, including the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.
“We spoke about the consequences of the full-scale invasion for Ukraine’s protected areas and about the unique case of ecocide associated with the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. We participated in a wide range of discussions. It was very important for us that Ukraine’s voice was heard,” says Oleksiy Vasyliuk.
According to him, Ukrainian representatives were welcomed with applause, and one meeting even began with the words “Glory to Ukraine”.
“But the most important thing is not the reaction itself. The most important thing is that we managed to explain to other countries what is really happening to nature in Ukraine,” the environmentalist notes.
One of the main events for UNCG was the side event “Biodiversity Conservation as a Foundation for Peace, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Recovery”, held on 23 October 2026.
The event was organised by the Earth Law Center, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, the Ekuanitshit Innu Council, the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group, and UNCG. The official Ukrainian delegation also took part. Participants discussed how to incorporate the needs of nature into peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery efforts.
Special attention was paid to the Kakhovka disaster. The destruction of the dam radically altered the region’s ecosystems, while natural regeneration began in the area of the former reservoir, including the formation of floodplain forests. This process has become an important example of how nature responds to large-scale destruction.
Participants also discussed protected areas that cannot be fully studied or protected because of occupation, mine contamination, or restricted access for specialists. Another topic was the rights of rivers and the concept of the rights of nature, legal approaches that could strengthen environmental protection.
“We held a separate session on Kakhovka together with American partners. It was attended by people from many countries around the world. They were interested in the issue and actively joined the discussion. Our opponents did not have the resources to organise a parallel event against Ukraine to spread misleading narratives or provocations,” says Oleksii Vasyliuk.
Other COP17 sessions also highlighted Ukrainian environmental achievements, including work related to the Emerald Network. As a result, Ukraine’s participation focused not only on documenting environmental destruction but also on presenting progress in nature conservation.
What This Participation Achieves
International environmental forums help Ukraine communicate the consequences of the war, find partners, and influence decisions related to biodiversity conservation. At the same time, they provide opportunities to challenge Russian disinformation.
“Russia operates on many fronts, and its influence must be limited in each of them. We now have the opportunity to counter its narratives in the environmental sphere. It would be strange not to use it. Even seemingly small actions, speeches, and reports become real obstacles for Russia when it tries to create the image of a state that supposedly cares about nature,” concludes Oleksii Vasyliuk.
This text was originally published in Ukrainian on the website of the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG).