Environmental lecture, tree planting in Yerevan mark Earth Day in event supported by OSCE Office

YEREVAN, 22 April 2009 - The Head of the OSCE Office inYerevan, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, highlighted the links between environment and security today in a lecture delivered to mark Earth Day.

"Earth Day is a civil initiative aimed at attracting attention to the need to co-operate to respond to the ecological threats," said Kapinos, who emphasized the importance of environmental education at an event organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection, Yerevan State University and Armenia's Aarhus Centres. The event also included a tree planting ceremony.

Students at Yerevan State University's Resource Centre on Environmental Rights - created with OSCE support - took part in a discussion following the Ambassador's lecture, and in the tree-planting event, along with government officials, professors and civil society representatives.

"The OSCE Office, through the Aarhus Centres and in close co-operation with the Ministry of Nature Protection, supports joint actions aimed at protecting and improving the environment. Today's event contributes to environmental awareness and appreciation, and it sparks co-operation to face environmental challenges," Kapinos said.

Aram Harutyunyan, Minister for Nature Protection, added: "We give significant importance to the role of the civil society organizations in raising awareness on environmental issues."

The OSCE Office in Yerevan has supported environmental education and civil society participation in environmental decision-making by supporting the establishment of 14 Aarhus Centres, which [provide the public with environmental information.