Ombudsman’s Office Responding to “Teghout” CJSC

Advisor to Human Rights Defender on Environmental Protection Anna Safaryan has responded to “Teghout” CJSC. The statement says, “Human Rights Defender’s Annual Report for 2012 on the Activities of Nature Protection Ministry mentions that the problem with licensing of the current activities of Teghout CJSC, the developer of Teghout copper and molybdenum mine, hasn’t been solved, about which the environmentalists have beaten many alarms. Based on the response of Teghout CJSC, we think the fixed problem was misunderstood and we consider it necessary to bring more details about the essence of the problem. Thus, the environmentalists have raised the problem many times that in 2006 Teghout CJSC was issued the permit with a number of legislation violations, which was confirmed by the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee at the meeting in Kishinev on 29 June 2011. Under communication ACCC/C/2009/43, the Committee fixed that violations of the Aarhus Convention were committed in issuing a license for Teghout mine development, which is an integral part of the legal system of Armenia. We would like to outline that the decision of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee is binding for the parties and is subject to implementation by the state.  During the meeting of Convention parties at the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee it was concluded that Armenia failed the implementation of the Convention.

Moreover, Teghout Support Group informed the Ombudsman in its letter that the current mining is carried out by a new project for 2010, which hasn’t undergone any expertise, and in this regard the Nature Protection Ministry demanded to conduct examinations in Teghout mine, nevertheless, no reply has been received from Nature Protection Ministry so far.

Thus, the violations mentioned in the Ombudsman’s report, which says the problem with licensing of the current activities of Teghout CJSC, the developer of Teghout copper and molybdenum mine, hasn’t been solved, first of all refers to the violations present in issuing license to the company in 2006, as well as  to its activities under a new non-licensed program.”