CENN – SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Request for Input on Panel 2004 Trip
2. PAN Germany calls for more transparency on international pesticide
trade
3. United Nations International Day for Disaster Reduction — 13 October
2004
4. Section of Extremely Poor Population in Armenia to Disappear in 5-6
Years: WB Representative in Armenia
5. Agribusiness Teaching Center Attracts Foreign Students
6. Armenia allows hunting for Red Data Book animals to entice hunters
7. EIA Reports Submitted to the Ministry of Environmetn of Georgia
1. REQUEST FOR INPUT ON PANEL 2004 TRIP
As part of its three-year mandate to study the impact of the BTC
pipeline and related BP-led investments in the Caspian region, the
Caspian Development Advisory Panel (CDAP) has begun preparations for its
second site visit to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, scheduled for late
October 2004. The Panel requests input from all interested parties about
the individuals and organizations with which it should consider meeting
during its visit to the region. The Panel made a similar request last
year in advance of its trip to the region and benefited greatly from the
many suggestions that were provided.
All submissions should be sent to CDAP via e-mail at [email protected] or
addressed to Caspian Development Advisory Panel Secretariat, c/o
Covington & Burling, Attention: Mr. Peter Flanagan, 1201 Pennsylvania
Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20004-2041, USA. CDAP thanks you for your
time and consideration of this request and looks forward to receiving
your input.
Caspian Development Advisory Panel Secretariat
c/o Covington & Burling
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
[email protected]
2. PAN GERMANY CALLS FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY ON INTERNATIONAL PESTICIDE
TRADE
PRESS RELEASE
Hamburg, 2004-09-24
On the occasion of the First Conference of the Parties of the Rotterdam
Convention in Geneva, PAN Germany declares that the Rotterdam Convention
is an important first step towards increasing transparency on
international trade in pesticides.
At the side event organized by the Pesticide Network UK (PAN UK), PAN
Germany states that the Rotterdam Convention is a large step ahead,
regarding transparency in particular. “The Governments ratifying the
convention have identified the importance of transparency and
acknowledged that information on regulatory decisions about pesticides
traded is important to identify potential hazard”, says Simone Hueber
from PAN Germany, “but it’s crucial that governments also know about
pesticide exports in general.”
The conventions Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure permits
developing countries to decide on the import of certain hazardous
pesticides and chemicals on the basis of detailed information.
The procedure is limited to a small number of chemicals and pesticides
listed in Annex III of the convention. “Metaphorically speaking we have
PIC as a small island of transparency in the middle of a dark sea of the
major trade in pesticides”, Simone Hueber says.
PAN Germany reminds of the problem that safe use of pesticides is not
guaranteed, especially not for farming under poverty conditions and
emphasizes the need of creating a legal basis for transparent trade in
pesticides globally. Furthermore the publication of the collected data
should be mandatory on the basis of active ingredients.
According to PAN Germany having detailed information on pesticide
exports would be beneficial to the aims of the Rotterdam Convention and
would help the secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention monitor the
parties compliance with the regulations under PIC.
The so called Rotterdam Convention entered into force as from February,
two months after the fiftieth party had ratified the agreement.
The First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam
Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade takes place in Geneva
from 20-24 September 2004.
For further information contact: Simone Hueber, Tel. 040-399 19 10 26
[email protected]
(2.408 signs, 413 Words)
Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e.V. Fon: +49 (0)40-39 91 91 0-0
Nernstweg 32, D-22765 Hamburg Fax: +49 (0)40-390 75 20
Please use our new mail address: mailto:[email protected]
Do you know our website?
A lot of interesting information is available at:
3. UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION – 13 OCTOBER
2004
ATTENTION ALL YOUNG PEOPLE!!
The theme of this year’s World Disaster Reduction Campaign is “learning
from today’s disasters for tomorrow’s hazards”.
To raise awareness, an International art contest for young people aged
16 and under is being held by the UN, and you are invited to
participate!
The best 12 pictures will be selected for publication in a UN/ISDR 2005
calendar that will be disseminated both to participants of the World
Conference on Disaster Reduction (18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo,
Japan) and all around the world! In addition, the pictures will be
framed and exhibited2005 on-site at the WCDR. Deadline for receipt of
pictures is 20 October 2004.
Information for this exciting competition can be seen at:
contest-eng.htm
Address:
UN/ISDR Attention:
Nicole Rencoret
Office A.579 Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland
E-mail: [email protected]
4. SECTION OF EXTREMELY POOR POPULATION IN ARMENIA TO DISAPPEAR IN 5-6
YEARS: WB REPRESENTATIVE IN ARMENIA
Source: ARMINFO, September 23, 2004
The Armenian Office of the World Bank will put a stress on
implementation of social, health and educational programs in its policy
for the coming 4 years. Head of WB Office in Yerevan Roger Robinson said
at a press-conference today.
He said that the policy of the WB Office in Armenia for the coming 4
years is estimated at $200-220 mln, including $20 mln to be directed to
the state budget of Armenia within the coming three years annually. The
major idea of the budgetary credit PRSC is contribution to poverty
reduction, improvement of the business environment, customs and taxation
administration. Roger Robinson said that in conformity with WB’s
expectations, the annual revenues of Armenia’s state budget are to grow
by some 0.4% of GDP annually. In this connection, he said that after the
expiry of the given strategy, the WB will refuse from the idea of
crediting the state budget,
Commenting on the efficiency of the estimation of WB’s programs in
Armenia at the request of ARMINFO, Robinson said that WB Factor
Monitoring Department gave the highest assessment both of the work of
the Yerevan Office and the efficiency of the programs in Armenia.
Several our problems contained definite mistakes and miscalculations.
But all them depended on the underestimation of the difficulty of the
set tasks, Robinson said. As regards the reduction of absolute volumes
of WB’s credits issued to Armenia, Robinson said that it is accounted
for by improvement of the indicators of the fiscal policy of the
government which leads to reduction in demand for credits.
It should be noted that since 1992, the WB has issued $820.8 mln credits
to Armenia.
5. AGRIBUSINESS TEACHING CENTER ATTRACTS FOREIGN STUDENTS
Source: ARMENPRESS, September 23, 2004
An Agricultural Academy-affiliated Agribusiness teaching center, run
with the financial and technical assistance of the US Department of
Agriculture Yerevan office has started teaching two more subjects,
namely International Business Law and E-Trade. The course that lasts
three years and is conducted in English has attracted this year 60
students. Upon graduation they will be awarded diplomas of Texas
University (USA) and the Armenian Agricultural Academy.
This year 11 students from Agricultural Universities of Tbilisi and
Batumi, Georgia, have been enrolled and next month another 100 students
from India will be enrolled.
6. ARMENIA ALLOWS HUNTING FOR RED DATA BOOK ANIMALS TO ENTICE HUNTERS
Source: ITAR-TASS, Russia, September 25, 2004
Armenia has allowed unprofessional hunters to shoot wild animals listed
in the international Red Data Book, Head of the Armenian environmental
ministry’s agency for biological resources Artashes Ziroyan said.
He noted that the government had decided to set a part 2.4 thousand
hectares of land in the Vaiots Dzor region and 459 hectares in the
Syunic region in the republic’s southeastern area for the
Armenian-Italian company `Safari international’.
The company will organize hunting for wild goats, bears and Asiatic
moufflons in the assigned areas.
According to Ziroyan, the Red Data Book will not be an impediment to the
project because hunting will be allowed only for male moufflons, bezoar
goats and bears which are older than eight years and are no longer
capable of reproducing the species.
Ziroyan also said that there are quotas: permission will be issued to
shoot up to five goats and moufflons and no more than two bears each
hunting season.
Ziroyan, who earlier headed the Armenian Academy of Sciences’ Institute
of Zoology is convinced that `the hunting will produce profits.’
According to him, `the pricing process is now in progress’ and the
environmental ministry hopes to get no less than 500 dollars per each
killed animal.
Efforts will be made to secure the restoration of the population of the
animals in the Red Data Book, and the joint Armenian-Italian program
will help encourage environmental and hunting tourism in Armenia.
However, Karen Manvelyan, director of the Yerevan office of the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the Caucasus does not agree with Artashes
Ziroyan. According to him, bears can live for 25 years and the old males
continue to lead goat families. Their extermination will not be without
negative consequences.
7. EIA REPORTS SUBMITTED TO THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMETN OF GEORGIA
Source: “Sakartvelos Respublica” (“Republic of Georgia”), September 27,
2004
In accordance with the Georgian legislation EIA reports are submitted to
the Ministry of Environment of Georgia to obtain an environmental permit
for the activity of second category:
1. Draft project of the development of the Gunia-Tsalka Deposit in
Tsalka Region, submitted by Ltd. “VGKS”;
2. Investigation and development of the Kizilajlo Basalt deposit in
Marneuli Region, submitted by Ltd. Roki”;
3. Development of the inert materials deposit in Borjomi region, village
Daba, submitted by Ltd. “Mshenebeli”;
4. Development of the inert materials deposit in Borjomi region,
Tsagveri, submitted by entrepreneur “Gio”
EIA report is available at the press-center of the Ministry of
Environment (68, Kostava Str., VI floor) and at the Department of
Environmental Permits and State Ecological Expertise (87, Paliashvili
Str., Tel: 25 02 19). Interested stakeholders can analyze the document
and present their comments and considerations until November 9, 2004..
Public hearing will be held on November 9, 2004.at 12:00, at the
conference hall of the Ministry of Environment.