MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) – A national action plan to introduce green economy principles in Belarus will be worked out this year. Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Andrei Kovkhuto made the statement during the eighth ministerial conference Environment for Europe in Batumi, Georgia on 8 June, the Ministry's press service told BelTA.
Andrei Kovkhuto said during the opening ceremony: “Environmental policy is a key component of national security and an important part of Belarus' sustainable development. Belarus does not shy away from modern trends. We are strongly interested in the development of a green economy and consider it as a strategic method to resolve systemic problems, problems concerning the safety of natural resources, population employment and the competitive ability on the whole. This year a national action plan will be worked out to introduce green economy principles in Belarus.”
The eighth ministerial conference Environment for Europe gathered 39 heads of ministries responsible for environmental protection and education in the UNECE region, from member states, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Such events are arranged by the Environmental Policy Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe once every four years. The events represent a platform for cooperation between UNECE member states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other interested parties in working out important decisions concerning environmental protection.
Participants of the conference are expected to discuss the potential role of multilateral environmental agreements, reviews of the efficiency of environmental efforts, the Environmental Action Program task force, regional environmental centers and other instruments used to provide support and bolster efforts of individual nations in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. Apart from that, the parties that have responded to the Astana Water Action proposals will share their experience of using the initiative since its launch in 2011.
