Friday, 7 February 2014
Interdepartmental Commission Holds First Meeting To Streamline Post-Rio+20 Activities
The Interdepartmental Commission established to streamline the Rio+20 UN Sustainable Development Summit’s Post-Rio+20 global process-related activities, held its first meeting involving representatives from public agencies and civil society organizations.
The Commission was established under the Prime Minister’s Decree of December 9, 2013. The Commission is chaired by Deputy Minister-Chief of Government Staff Tigran Gevorgyan. Secretariat work is ensured by the Office of Government of the Republic of Armenia.
The main objective of the Commission is to develop a program of national strategy (vision and action program), aimed at implementing the resolutions of Rio+20. The Commission has the Prime Minister’s instruction to submit proposals on its program of action within a period of three months.
“Like other States, after the Rio+20 Summit, Armenia has assumed a number of obligations, and we should honor them,” Tigran Gevorgyan said in his welcoming speech.
Specific approaches and guidelines were said to have been developed for the Commission on the instructions of the Prime Minister in order to implement the decisions adopted at the Rio+20 Summit.
Commission Vice-Chair, “For Sustainable Human Development” NGO President Karine Danielyan presented the activities of the Commission, noting that they have been selected, based on the Rio+20 solutions and our national concerns. This is land use, environment and health, alternative energy development and energy conservation, sustainable management of water resources, waste management, sustainable development of organic agriculture, sustainable tourism, sustainable cities/development of green architecture, sustainable forest management, conservation of biodiversity, implementation of the UN Decade referred to as “Education for sustainable development,” transformation of the Millennium development goals in sustainable development, as well as stimulating the introduction of legislative and economic instruments in the field of development of green economy to overcome poverty and achieve sustainable development.
The Commission’s timetable, featuring round tables, meetings and seminars, thematic discussions, scientific conferences with the participation of broad sectors of society in both Yerevan and the regions and, In conclusion, monitoring of program implementation were introduced during the meeting.
During the exchange of opinions that followed, the commission members voiced proposals concerning the activities of the Commission. A number of organizational and technical issues were discussed in addition.
Summarizing the discussion, commission chairman, Deputy Minister-Chief of Government Staff Tigran Gevorgyan advised that sub-commissions were formed for each sphere to coordinate the development and implementation of Armenia’s national strategy. Each sub-commission shall submit a proposal for its program activities, after which the national strategy program will be presented for the Government’s approval.
