OSCE Office awards journalists for reporting on environmental issues in Armenia

YEREVAN, 10 December 2004 - Eleven journalists from different regions of Armenia were today awarded prizes for their reporting on environmental issues in a competition run by the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The competition, for TV and print media, was co-organized with the Public Environmental Information Centre (Aarhus Centre) and linked to Human Rights Day.

"The main objective of the 2004 competition was to explain to the public that living in a healthy environment is a universal human right," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Office, after handing out the awards. "Being aware of environmental problems and understanding ways of solving them is crucial for democratic development and securing a prosperous future".

A special prize was also awarded for explaining the issues of environmental protection and human rights to citizens in remote regions of Armenia.

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