Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan met Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Dmitry Mariyasin.
Deputy Minister Gayane Gabrielyan, heads of professional departments of the Ministry, Coordinator of UNDP climate change Programs Diana Harutyunyan took part in the meeting.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was established in 1947 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is one of the five UN regional commissions. Armenia has been a member of the UNECE since July 1993.
Welcoming Mr. Mariyasin to the Ministry of Environment, the Minister first of all touched upon his previous activities as a permanent representative of the UN Development Program in Armenia.
"Since 2018, you have worked in Armenia for almost four years as a permanent representative of the UN Development Program. During this time, many environmental programs have been implemented in our country through your efforts and support. The Armenian Office of the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of Environment jointly implemented many programs that contributed both to the fulfillment of Armenia's obligations under environmental conventions and to the improvement of national legislation and management system., that we strive for the success of all these programs. I am also very glad that we have a partner friend who knows Armenia well in the UN Economic Commission for Europe. I am sure that this meeting will become a new incentive to expand and increase the effectiveness of our cooperation," the Minister said.
Thanking for the reception, Dmitry Mariyasin expressed satisfaction with the active representation of the RA Ministry of Environment on international platforms, as well as for high-level participation in the Ministerial conference "Environment for Europe" in the Republic of Cyprus and the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
5 environmental conventions of the UN Economic Commission for Europe were touched upon in more detail, of which Armenia has signed and ratified 4.
The Minister presented the current work on each of them, related legislative reforms. an agreement has been reached on the activation of ongoing work.
The 2nd Environmental Assessment Report of Armenia (EPR) was also discussed during the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister also proposed to consider a new framework for cooperation and expressed readiness to continue practical steps to create favorable conditions for expanding promising areas of mutually beneficial cooperation, taking into account the compliance of the functions of the UNECE with the ongoing reforms in the field of environmental management.