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Minister Levan Davitashvili Chaired a high-level meeting under the UNECE’s Aarhus Convention in Geneva
In the course of the high-level meeting, attendees discussed the core document of the Aarhus Convention – “Geneva Declaration on Environmental Democracy for Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Development”, under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).“It is a great honor for us to participate in the meeting of Aarhus parties on behalf of Georgia. Apart from discussing environmental matters, we have an honor to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Aarhus Convention. We have ensured progress through mutually conducted projects, which shall proceed through strengthening environmental democracy, at a local, as well as international scale. We shall expand the Aarhus family and make it stronger” – the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Mr Levan Davitashvili stated. He also stated that the Geneva Convention is a policy-oriented document, which aspires to ensure sustainable, inclusive and consistent success.
Apart from the specially invited guests and member parties to the Aarhus Convention, the respective high-level meeting enjoyed presence of Ministers, State Secretaries, various delegations, leaders of regional, international and non-governmental organizations, as well as representatives of the civil society.
The session was attended by the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Ms Nino Tandilashvili and Head of the Mission of Georgia to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other international organizations, Mr Aleksandre Maisuradze. For the second consecutive time, the meeting enjoyed co-chairing from the MP Maia Bitadze, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, who has also served as a chairperson of the Aarhus Convention Bureau. It shall be noted that a seven-year period of co-chairmanship of Georgia has commenced with a vital decision to establish a new institution in frames of the United Nations, which will be a fast response mechanism and rapporteur, which will profess interest into prompt response to cases appealed to the Aarhus Convention.