OSCE Office in Yerevan helps Armenia address issue of municipal solid waste management

YEREVAN, 2 December 2005 - International expertise in the field of waste management and treatment, as well as relative European Union legislation were on the agenda of a conference that ended yesterday in Yerevan.

The two-day event, organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ), and the Ministry of Urban Development, brought together over 70 participants from the government, district municipalities, private companies, international and non-governmental organizations, as well as, guests from Georgia.

"We consider an environmentally sound waste management and treatment as fundamental for environmental and human security," said Jeannette Kloetzer, Economic/Environmental Officer of the OSCE Office. "It should be stable over time and efficient in terms of economic viability, environmental protection and social acceptance."

The Minister of Urban Development of Armenia, Aram Harutyunyan, praised the co-operation with the OSCE and GTZ and noted the need to develop an integrated concept for a sustainable solid waste management, which would be in compliance with international conventions and standards.

Recommendations that came out of the conference will be summarized with the help of government and public stakeholders, the Aarhus public environmental information Centre and the Communal Policy public information Centre, established within the Ministry of Urban Development.

The event contributed to the implementation of the OSCE-UNDP-UNEP Environment and Security Initiative launched by national stakeholders of the Southern Caucasus countries.