THE RA NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (NSDC) MET AT THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT

F riday, 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
Martirosy an 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 oth er 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.