Friday, 23 January 2009
The RA National Sustainable Development Council (NSDC) met at the Office of Government, presided at by council chairman, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. The Council is composed of RA ministers, MPs, heads of non-governmental organizations. The sitting was attended by Yerevan Town Hall and NAS representatives.
To begin with, the Prime Minister stressed that the NSDC is supposed to discuss environmental, urban development-related and other important issues during its sittings. He said to be convinced that such discussions will result in mutually acceptable and sound decisions in order to give effect to those fundamental principles underlying the national program of sustainable development.
It was unanimously decided that Lake Sevan’s ecological status, the RA sustainable development concept, the draft law on transformed living organisms, NSDC by-laws will be discussed at the forthcoming sittings due to time pressure. Then the Council discussed the capital’s ecological status, including the reasons behind the existing problems, the consequences and remedies. The meeting agenda also featured discussion of sanitation-related questions.
“Sustainable Human Development” NGO Chairwoman Karine Danielyan and Yerevan Mayor’s Office Environmental Protection Department Head Avet Martirosyan referred to the current status of Yerevan’s water basins and green zones, estimated the seismic risks, the health care impact of the ecological situation, outlined the ecological development scenarios for the capital city and other issues of topical interest. The head of the Yerevan Mayor’s Office Environmental Protection Department presented those actions planned or already implemented under Yerevan’s chief development plan. Sanitation was referred to by Head of the Mayor’s Office Utilities Department Gagik Khachatryan.
Summarizing the meeting, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stressed the need for both making detailed analyses of the existing problems and formulating clear-cut proposals for their decision. By noting that the next such meeting will be dedicated to the problems of Lake Sevan, he told the keynote speakers to make sure that the package of proposals is available to council members well in advance of the meeting. The Prime Minister underscored that notwithstanding the large amount of work carried out to date, numerous issues are to be decided yet He agreed with the NGO representatives and MPs in that no action can deserve the population’s appreciation insofar as even a single unacceptable and unreasonable problem remains unsettled. Tigran Sargsyan said that domestic NGOs should possibly assist the government with the tackling of environmental issues. The Prime Minister suggested that in cooperation with other NGOs, “Sustainable Human Development” NGO Chairwoman Karine Danielyan should present a concept note on public monitoring regarding the most important items enabling the Council to discuss the monitoring results on a regular basis, publish them and organize works more effectively.
