CENN – DECEMBER 1, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Con-Tract of the Century
2. The Summit of the Ministers of Environment of Caspian and Black Sea
Regional States Commences in Istanbul
3. Exxon/Mobil Drilling Another Well
4. WB Finances Reconstruction of Irrigation System in Azerbaijan
5. No Emergencies Recorded for the Last Day Because of Snowfall in
Armenia
6. World Vision Renovates Four Health Posts in Lori Province
7. An International Workshop on Social Monitoring Opened in Yerevan
8. RA Parliament Passes the Draft Law on Higher and Post Graduate
Education
9. Yerevan Municipality Moves to New Building
10. Journalists Create “Caucasian Club”
11. Armenia To Start Building Iran Gas Pipeline
12. Armenian Rivers are Not As Polluted as Azerbaijan Alleges
13. African NGOs Boycott World Bank Meeting
14. 2nd International Congress and Innovation Fair
1. CON-TRACT OF THE CENTURY
Michael Gillard, 29 November 2004
Page: 1/7
A SpinWatch investigation
How BP tried to cover-up up its flawed operations in the Caspian that
could lead to an environmental disaster. The investigation also reveals
breaking news that the first bank consortium led by Italy’s largest
bank, Banca Intesa, has pulled out over concerns about safety flaws and
reputation risk.
The Con-tract of the Century
A special investigation for Spinwatch by Michael Gillard
The full text is available on the following address:
CON-TRACT OF THE CENTURY.doc
2. THE SUMMIT OF THE MINISTERS OF ENVIRONMENT OF CASPIAN AND BLACK SEA
REGIONAL STATES COMMENCES IN ISTANBUL
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
November 25, 2004
The Summit of the Ministers of Environment of the states of the Caspian
and Black seas region, devoted to questions of ecology,` Caspian and
Black Sea Ecology 2004′ in which delegations from Turkey, Russia, Iran,
Romania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Georgia take
part, representatives of the international and regional oil-and-gas,
transport and tanker companies, a number NGOs, has started in Istanbul.
The employee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Rasim
Sattarzade represents Azerbaijan at the Summit.
As was informed to AzerTAj in the Ministry of Ecology and Natural
Resources, participants of Summit with a view of development of regional
interstate and industrial cooperation on preservation of the environment
will consider a number of questions influencing on ecological system of
region. Besides, during the meeting, discussed are expected questions of
development of ecologically safe methods and technologies of
investigation and oil recovery and gas and transportation of power
resources in the Caspian-Black Sea region.
According to Turkish mass media, one of the basic questions of the
Summit is discussion of the program of navigation in the Bosporus and
Dardanelle passages, carried out now by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the ministry of environment and forestry of Turkey. The program
stipulates monitoring the problem of transport congestion, caused by
passage of tankers through the Bosporus and Dardanelle, and also
research of alternatives to working rules of transit of passages.
3. EXXON/MOBIL DRILLING ANOTHER WELL
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
November 29, 2004
After drilling an exploratory hole in the Zafar-Mashal field,
Exxon/Mobile Company is going to start drilling the first test hole in
the Nakhchivan structure. The cost of drilling works in the Zafar-Mashal
field were the highest in the Caspian Sea. It cost $150 million.
To remind, the Company holds 8 percent stock at the ACG full-fledge
development project.
4. WB FINANCES RECONSTRUCTION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN AZERBAIJAN
Source: State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, AzerTag,
November 29, 2004
World Bank finances $42-million `Rehabilitation & Completion of
Irrigation and Drainage Infrastructure’ project in Azerbaijan.
The project aims at prevention the decline in supplying water in Baku
City, eliminate further deterioration of the supply of irrigation water
to approximately 86,000 hectares along the Samur-Apsheron Canal; and
improve drainage and reduce water logging and salinity on approximately
36,500 ha along Main-Mugan Collector.
The project is implemented by the Melioration and Water Industry Agency
of the Agriculture Ministry of Azerbaijan.
5. NO EMERGENCIES RECORDED FOR THE LAST DAY BECAUSE OF SNOWFALL IN
ARMENIA
Source: ARKA, November 24, 2004
No emergencies were recorded for the last day because of snowfall in
Armenia, as Colonel Nikolay Grigoryan Head of Armenian Department of
Emergency Situations stated. In his words all roads are in working
conditions except the Selim pass and Bagratashen bridge. He mentioned
that due to icy roads a car accident was recorded in Vayots Dzor without
human casualties. There were breakdowns on electric lines in Aragatsotn
marz, while they were removed and the electricity was restored.
6. WORLD VISION RENOVATES FOUR HEALTH POSTS IN LORI PROVINCE
Source: ArmenPress, November 25, 2004
On Wednesday, November 24, World Vision Armenia celebrated the opening
of the renovated health posts in four rural communities in Lori Marz.
The ceremony took place at 12:00 PM at the health post in Norashen
village and was followed by a visit to Sarchapet, Artsni and Saratovka
communities where World Vision and Support to Communities (STC) has
completed the renovation of the local health posts.
Renovation of the health posts was done in the framework of the Support
to Mobile Medical Teams program, a five-year project funded by US Agency
for International Development and World Vision and targeting 57 rural
communities in Gegharkunik, Lori Tavush and Syunik marzes.
The program aims to provide medical services to the population of remote
communities (serving 32,000 people), increase access of vulnerable
children and their families to a healthy and balanced diet, conduct
health education and promotion among population, establish revolving
drug funds, conduct primary health care trainings and work closely with
policlinics, hospitals and health posts to increase levels of care.
World Vision Armenia works closely with its local partners including STC
and the Scientific Association of Medical Students of Armenia.
Since May 2004 over 12,600 people in 25 villages of Lori and Gegharkunik
regions have benefited from this program. Four Mobile Medical Teams
regularly visited remote communities, providing qualified health care
services to the residents.
As a part of the program activities focused on strengthening
community-based health structures in villages, World Vision Armenia
together with STC started the renovation of the health posts in 11
villages of Gegharkunik and 5 villages of Lori from which renovation of
four Lori health posts has been completed.
Next year the program will start to deliver primary health care to
vulnerable children and families in Syunik and Tavush regions.
“By the end of the program, villages will have benefited from five
years of MMT visits, and will also have primary health care structures
and community knowledge strengthened in a sustainable manner.” says
Julian Srodecki, WV Armenia Operations Director.
7. AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SOCIAL MONITORING OPENED IN YEREVAN
Source: ARKA, November 24, 2004
Today, at the Yerevan Marriott Hotel, the Government of Armenia and
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) opened a three-day
international workshop on Strengthening the Capacity for Social
Monitoring in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) and Poverty Reduction Strategic Papers (PRSP).
Senior representatives of the Government of Armenia, UN Agencies and
offices in Slovakia, the United States of America, and Switzerland,
international and local organisations, Governors’ Offices, as well as
distinguished experts from Poland, Tanzania, Albania, Kazakhstan, and
other countries are participating in the workshop.
The main objective of the regional workshop is to share experiences on
social monitoring and identify the steps that are needed to establish
comprehensive national social monitoring systems. The workshop also aims
at strengthening the capacity of participants by: a) exchanging
experiences and discussing case studies in the field of social
monitoring, with a special focus on methodologies and indicators; b)
reviewing linkages between MDGs and PRSPs in the CIS; and c) discussing
mechanisms for building partnerships in social monitoring. UNDP office
to Armenia was founded to 1993. Total cost of UNDP programs in Armenia
makes $11 million.
8. RA PARLIAMENT PASSES THE DRAFT LAW ON HIGHER AND POST-GRADUATE
EDUCATION
Source: ARKA, November 25, 2004
The RA Parliament passed in the first reading the draft law On Higher
and Post-Graduate Professional Education. The law is called to regulate
the state policy in these areas, as well as the organizational-legal and
financial-economic issues. The law includes the protection of citizens’
right to obtain corresponding education, its availability, continuous
education, ensuring of competitiveness, transparency and publicity, as
well as recognition of diploma and qualification degrees of Armenian
higher and post-graduate education in European countries.
The draft law also sets the state standards and educational programs of
higher and post-graduate education, terms and forms of education,
qualification degrees, as well as the order of entering a higher
education and post-graduate institutions, as well as the order of their
registration and management.
The draft law provide for two-degree system of higher education
(Baccalaureate and Magistrate). Every higher educational institution
(public or private) will grant its own diploma. In addition, the best
students and needy students will be able to receive student
scholarships.
9. YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY MOVES TO NEW BUILDING
Source: ArmenPress, November 26, 2004
Armenian president Robert Kocharian praised today the companies that
have built the new building of the Yerevan municipality, saying after a
stroll that he was satisfied with both the quality of the work and the
speed with which it was accomplished.
Speaking to reporters, Kocharian said the municipality staff should work
now more effectively to tackle the citizens’ problems without red tape
and delays. “The idea of one window should be implemented in the
municipality that has to ensure uninterrupted function of all city
services,” the president said, adding that complains that the
municipality does not have good conditions for work will be unjustified.
The construction of the building was started yet in 1980 but was
suspended after 1991 and resumed only in 2003. The new municipality
building will also house the Yerevan History Museum.
The new five-storey building has a total of 13,500 square meters of
space. It cost is 3.1 billion drams.
10. JOURNALISTS CREATE “CAUCASIAN CLUB”
Source: ITAR-TASS News Agency, November 26, 2004
A new public organization of journalists – the Caucasian Club, has been
established on Friday under the auspices of the International Federation
of journalist unions and the Union of Russia journalists. The goal of
the new organization is to make a positive contribution to the coverage
of international problems and in the long run to the stabilization of
the situation in the Caucasus.
Journalists from Moscow, Chechnya, Dagestan, North Ossetia, the
Krasnodar territory, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia were among the first
to join the Caucasian Club, which is open to new members to join.
The main credo of the new Club is strict objectivity, impartial coverage
and delicacy when covering ethnic problems, Besides. The Caucasian Club
will discuss economic and social problems of the Caucasus, integration
of national Diasporas, problems of ethnic crime.
11. ARMENIA TO START BUILDING IRAN GAS PIPELINE
By Hrach Melkumian
Armenia will start on Tuesday the long-awaited work on a key section of
a strategic pipeline that will allow it to import Iranian natural gas in
two years from now, officials said on Monday.
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, Energy Minister Armen Movsisian and
his Iranian counterpart will lead an official ceremony in Agarak, a
small town near the Iranian border, dedicated to the event. The
construction of the pipeline’s 100-kilometer stretch passing through
Iranian territory reportedly got underway last year.
`We are talking about the construction of the first 40-kilometer section
of the pipeline which, as you know, will be built with a $30 million
loan provided by the Iranian side,’ Lusine Harutiunian, the spokeswoman
for the Armenian Energy Ministry, told RFE/RL. `We plan to complete the
construction by January 1, 2007.’
The loan was formally extended during Iranian President
MohammadKhatami’s September visit to Armenia when the two neighboring
states signed a final agreement on the project after a decade of
negotiations. The deal was finalized during Iranian Oil and Gas Minister
Bizhan Zangane’s talks in Yerevan last May.
The Armenian government says the pipeline will bolster Armenia’s vital
relationship with the Islamic Republic and provide it with an
alternative source of natural gas which generates about 40 percent of
its energy. The economically struggling country presently imports the
fuel from Russia through an aging pipeline running across Georgia.
The 42-kilometer section of the new pipeline will run from the Iranian
border to the southeastern town of Kajaran through one of Armenia’s most
rocky terrains. A mountain pass near Kajaran is the highest in the
country.
Armenia is due to repay the Iranian loan with energy supplies. The two
governments already engage in a seasonal swap of electricity and plan to
boost it dramatically with a second high-voltage transmission line
linking their power grids. Harutiunian said Armenian and Iranian
officials will inaugurate the line at a separate ceremony on Tuesday.
12. ARMENIAN RIVERS ARE NOT AS POLLUTED AS AZERBAIJAN ALLEGES
Source: ArmenPress, November 29, 2004
Armen Saghatelian, the head of a center for ecological and noospheric
studies, an affiliation of the Armenian Academy of Sciences, denied
Azerbaijan’s allegations that rivers flowing in from Armenia are
polluted heavily with radioactive substances.
The center will accomplish next December a project for monitoring of the
South Caucasian rivers, assisted by NATO and OSCE Yerevan office.
Saghatelian said samples of water from 13 rivers running across Armenia
to Azerbaijan are taken once a month to check the volume of their
contamination. Similar work is done in Azerbaijan and Georgia and the
data is collected in one center.
He said NATO provides funds for purchase of necessary equipment while
the OSCE office helps to carry out field work.
He said NATO helps also to buy scale spectrometers to decide the volume
of radioactive substances in the rivers, which he said is important to
deny Azerbaijan’s accusations that Armenia pollutes the rivers with such
elements. The project has been carried out in the South Caucasian
republics since 2003 and its overall budget is 500,000 euros.
13. AFRICAN NGOS BOYCOTT WORLD BANK MEETING
PRESS RELEASE November 30, 2004
Source: WB_ECA_NGO_WG_Organisations_ECA@yahoogroups.com, November 24,
2004
ACCRA, November 30, 2004 – Today, organisations from across the African
continent are boycotting a consultation meeting in Nairobi organized by
the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group. The
organisations claim that the consultation is ill prepared, rushed and
untransparent, and will not provide a meaningful venue for input. Civil
society demanded more time, more outreach, more translation, more
information and more engagement, but did not get an adequate response.
The IFC is meeting in Nairobi today to discuss new social and
environmental standards. The institution is the private sector arm of
the World Bank Group, providing financial support for large
corporations, including AngloGold Ashanti in Ghana. Many of IFC’s
projects around the world have polluted rivers, displaced people,
increased corruption, abused human rights and contributed to climate
change. Benefits are rarely shared with the communities that are
affected.
African NGOs including Friends of the Earth, Third World Network and
CIVICUS claim in a statement that `the framework for the Bank’s
involvement in Africa’s extractives has been inadequate and unbalanced
to meet the developmental priorities and needs of the people and
communities.’
Under pressure of transnational corporations, the IFC plans to weaken
its standards, thereby endangering people and the environment even
further. Noble Wadzah of Friends of the Earth Ghana said: `IFC’s new
standards for social and environmental matters will not be binding upon
corporations. While the current policies are weak already, and
implementation is problematic, voluntary codes are unacceptable. It
would imply that foreign corporations can ruin our resources and
livelihoods as they please, while not being accountable. What do we
stand to gain? It is time that the World Bank Group reconsiders the way
it is doing business and starts to protect people instead of profit.’
The African statement follows boycotts of consultations of the IFC
review in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Manila (Philippines) and London
(United Kingdom). Later this week, groups will be protesting outside the
IFC consultation meeting in Paris, France.
For more information, contact:
Noble Wadzah, Friends of the Earth Ghana: 0233 51 23 12
Abdulai Darimani, Third World Network: 0233 50 36 69
Position Statement of African Civil Society Organisations for the IFC
Safeguard Policy
Review Consultation in Africa, November 29-30, 2004 is available on the
following address: Statement of
African Civil Society Organisations for the IFC Safeguard Policy.doc
===============================Tired of big money paving the planet?
Become an Active Bankwatcher!
active.bankwatch.org
Petr Hlobil
ATTENTION: NEW ADDRESS
Petr Hlobil
Campaigns Coordinator
CEE Bankwatch Network
Jicinska 8, Praha 3, 130 00, Czech Republic
Tel.+fax: 420-2-7481 65 71 l. 18
14. 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AND INNOVATION FAIR
“SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION”
19th – 20th September 2005, University of Geneva
For the more detailed information please visit:
—
*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: info@cenn.org
URL: