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05.02.2010 14:59
 Today the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia presented Armenia’s draft Second National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to national stakeholders.
The Communication was developed by the Armenia’s Ministry of Nature Protection with support of UNDP in the framework of “Enabling activities for the preparation of Armenia’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC” UNDP/GEF project. The document was prepared with the goal to assist Armenia in meeting her commitments under the UNFCCC.
Welcome speeches at the event were delivered by Mr. Aram Harutyunyan, the RA Minister of Nature Protection, Ms. Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, and Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Addressing the participants of the discussion, the Minister noted that the Government of Armenia recognized the serious threat of climate change and envisages certain measures in national strategic programs and policy documents, such as “Sustainable Development Program” (2008) and “Second National Environmental Action Program” (2008) to tackle the matter. Mr. Harutyunyan underlined that due to multi-sectoral impact of climate change in Armenia, the active participation of national stakeholders in today’s discussion of the results of Second National Communication on Climate Change is of high importance.
In her welcome speech Ms. Dafina Gercheva said, “Global climate change is one of the serious contemporary challenges faced by the mankind. It is not anymore an environmental, but also a development issue that can potentially affect all aspects of human activity. In recent years, it has been considered as one of the biggest challenges to development, and can further seriously threaten international peace and security.” She further noted that adverse impacts of climate change are felt globally, however, developing countries, including Armenia, which is a landlocked country with vulnerable mountainous ecosystems, are the most vulnerable, since they have limited financial, technological and human resources to address the negative impacts of climate change.
The main policy recommendations of the Communication are in line with the current developments under Convention and Copenhagen conference outcomes. The Communication has been developed based on national data provided by the RA Ministries and the RA National Statistical Service. Analytical assessments were conducted by more than 40 national experts, as well as by the “Scientific Research Institute of Energy” CJSC and “Armenian State Hydro-meteorological and Monitoring Service” state non-commercial organization.
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