Declaration by Chemical Safety Coalition on Socio-ecological Situation in Armenia

On September 14-15, 2024, the meeting-discussion of the Chemical Safety Coalition took place in Alaverdi Community, Lori Region, Armenia, during which the Coalition adopted a declaration, which we present below.

Declaration of Chemical Safety Coalition on the socio-ecological situation in Armenia:

“Chemical Safety Coalition, including 17 non-governmental organizations, initiatives and individuals, calls on all interested parties of the Republic of Armenia to find solutions and take active steps to improve the socio-ecological environment”. We, Chemical Safety Coalition, record a number of challenges, overcoming which is vital from the viewpoint of ensuring a clean and healthy environment of the Republic of Armenia, ensuring people's health, economic development, strengthening foreign relations and democracy. We are talking about a number of challenges, among which are:

1. Inefficient and poor management of industrial waste in RA, which is the cause of continuous and irreversible environmental pollution.
2. Pressures on environmental activists, human rights defenders speaking out about chemical environmental pollution and community residents, manifested by the creation and distribution of false narratives, targeting, fake attacks and SLAPP processes, the aim of which is to generally reduce the decline of environmental movements in Armenia.
3. The urges to search for non-stop mineral resources and develop mines, often encouraged by local self-government bodies, in ecologically clean, rural areas of RA, where people develop their farms, engage in farming, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy processing, tourism development, and build their own well-being.
4. Development, implementation and implementation of sustainable and green, alternative development strategies and projects, socio-ecological policies in communities with risks of chemical pollution.
5. Chemical pollution is a challenge for the effective construction of Armenia’s foreign relations with Armenia’s reputation and the civilized world.
6. Chemical pollution is a challenge for agriculture, human health, it hinders economic development, which are national security issues.
7. Chemical pollution poses a challenge to agriculture and human health, hindering economic development, which are issues of national security. Chemical Safety Coalition will work towards mitigating and overcoming the aforementioned challenges by collaborating with the interested public, local and state authorities, continuously raising awareness about the issues, informing the public, enhancing civic awareness by creating platforms for discussion and dialogue, and finding and proposing solutions. At the same time, we call on all parties to confront the existing indifference towards the aforementioned challenges.

Chemical Safety Coalition includes:

1. "Community Consolidation and Support Center" NGO
2. "EcoLur" Informational NGO
3. "Spitak Helsinki Group" NGO
4. "Martuni Women's Community Council" NGO
5. "Healthy Hrazdan" Civic Initiative
6. "New Horizons" NGO
7. "Green Change" NGO
8. "Successful Woman" Youth NGO
9. "Public Oversight" NGO
10. "Green Armenia" Environmental NGO
11. "Bayazet Center" NGO
12. "Cinemart" Youth NGO
13. "Civic Youth Center" NGO
14. "Direct Democracy" NGO
15. "Healthy Environment" NGO
16. "Armash" Rural Community Support and Development Center

September 23, 2024 at 17:50