Yerevan, Armenia — Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) took part in the United Nations Biodiversity Conference COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, where member states adopted the Yerevan Pathway to accelerate national action and align efforts with global biodiversity targets.

The pathway also seeks to close the urgent financing gap needed to achieve the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030. Currently, only USD 75–92 billion is mobilized annually—far short of the USD 200 billion needed each year to meet global biodiversity goals.

UIII is emerging as a leader in global sustainability and environmental change, as reflected by its faculty and students. Dr. Sonny Mumbunan, Director of UIII’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program in Climate Change, represented UIII as an observer at COP17. UIII describes the program as the world’s first and only MPP in climate change dedicated to the Global South, equipping students from 36 countries to tackle climate, disaster, and public health challenges. Dr. Mumbunan also coordinates the Center for Climate and Sustainable Finance at the University of Indonesia.

At COP17, Dr. Mumbunan presented Indonesia’s progress on its biodiversity credit framework and introduced market designs for biodiversity credits. Indonesia aims to regulate biodiversity credits as part of its strategy to value and protect the country’s biological diversity.

UIII’s presence at COP17 was further strengthened by Ms. Inge Retnowati, a PhD student in UIII’s flagship Sustainable Development Policy and Governance program. Ms. Retnowati serves as Indonesia’s lead UN CBD negotiator and heads the Biological Diversity Conservation Directorate at Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment. At COP17, she was also elected to represent the Asia-Pacific region at the UN CBD Bureau.

The UIII Faculty of Social Sciences directs the PhD program in Sustainable Development Policy and Governance that Ms. Retnowati is currently attending, and is now welcoming leaders for the upcoming batch of students.