OSCE Office awards journalists for environmental reporting in Armenia

YEREVAN, 13 December 2005 - Eleven journalists from different regions of Armenia were on Monday awarded for reporting on environmental issues at an annual competition organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Aarhus public environmental information Centre.

This year's competition on "Environment and Industry" for TV and print media attracted 35 journalists. They submitted work devoted to environmental issues in Yerevan, Lake Sevan and the mining districts of Syunik and Lori.

All of these places have been pointed out as environmental "hot spots" in the OSCE-United Nations Development Programme-United Nations Environment Programme "Environment and Security Initiative".

"We need to address key issues of environmental protection, including the sustainable use of natural resources, environmental education in the light of its growing impact on the prosperity, stability and security, as well as the health of the population" said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office, referring to the OSCE Strategic Document for the Economic and Environmental Dimension.

He encouraged journalists, as well as representatives of ministries and the Alliance of Environmental NGOs to share and disseminate information on environmental threats and risks of natural and manmade disasters.

"All of these environmental threats should be tackled by common efforts," he added.

A special prize was awarded for a series of articles on the unique Shikahogh nature reserve in the Syunik district. The articles warned about possible environmental damage from the new Armenia-Iran highway. As a result, the Government changed its initial plans in favour of bypassing Shikahogh.

The OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Aarhus Centre support environmental journalism by organizing workshops, master classes, exchange of information on the subject and facilitating international contacts.