NA MP:  Draft climate law in final stage of development

ArmInfo. The Deputy Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on European Integration, the deputy of the Civil Contract Faction Meri Galstyan met with the Chief Adviser of the United Kingdom of the Caspian Policy Center, the former Charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland David Moran.

According to the press service of the NA, Meri Galstyan presented the actions taken by the RA Government, the National Assembly and other stakeholders on the agenda of environmental management and, in particular, the fight against climate change. In particular, the deputy introduced the process of implementing the commitments arising from the provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement within the framework of the work of the interdepartmental committees formed under the RA Government, the established guidelines and deadlines for their achievement, the process of the work of the National Action Plan approved by the RA Government and the National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation. Meri Galstyan noted that the draft law On Climate is in the final stages of development and is collecting opinions from interested departments. The MP presented the annual Climate Change Conference organized for and with the participation of parliamentarians in cooperation with the RA National Assembly and the UNDP Armenia Office, and the subsequent activities.  The participants exchanged ideas on the importance of making efforts to advance the climate change agenda, the challenges encountered in that process, and ways to overcome them.

As the former UK Government Ambassador for Climate (COP26) and Energy to Europe and Central Asia, David Moran took an interest in the preparation works for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) to be held in Armenia in 2026, presented their experience in organizing the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow in 2021, and noted that organizing an event of such a scale is indeed a great challenge, but extremely important in terms of content, messages, unprecedented focus on the climate change agenda, and promoting strong and long-term international cooperation. Meri Galstyan presented the work of the Interdepartmental ommission formed by the decision of the RA Prime Minister to coordinate the COP17 activities in Armenia, the actions taken, and the current needs.  The participants discussed the opportunities for exchange of experience and development of institutional capacities within the framework of further cooperation.