"The United Nations is convening delegates from nearly 200 countries to try to make progress on pledges to protect plants, animals and ecosystems."
"Representatives from nearly 200 countries are gathering in Armenia to grapple with a pressing problem: halfway to a looming deadline, the world is off track to fulfill global pledges to protect wildlife and ecosystems.
Under the auspices of the United Nations, delegates are expected over the next two weeks to discuss how countries are falling short of a 2022 landmark global agreement and what can be done to correct the course.
With wars raging, alarms rising about artificial intelligence and international cooperation flagging, the timing and politics are not easy. But that does not diminish the stakes, experts say.
As people transform the Earth’s lands, oceans and atmosphere, the planet’s biodiversity is declining at rates unseen in human history. From plants and insects to whales and great apes, species are suffering from habitat loss, over-harvesting, climate change, invasive species and pollution. As ecosystems are disrupted, scientists say, so is their ability to provide clean water and abundant food to humans."
Catrin Einhorn reports for the New York Times October 16, 2026.
