The NGO "Public Awareness and Monitoring Center", highlighting the implementation of the pillars of the Aarhus Convention in Armenia, has launched a project entitled "Raising Awareness on Implementation of Aarhus Convention in Armenia". The implementation of the project became possible thanks to the NGO "A. D. Sakharov Armenian Human Rights Centre".

Within the framework of the project, information on the 6th meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention held in Budva, Montenegro in September, on the decisions adopted at the third meeting of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) and on the processes aimed to apply the Convention in Armenia are periodically published in Aarhus website (www.aarhus.am).

On October 6th-7th, a training course entitled "Recognition and Application of the Aarhus Convention" was held in Yerevan Aarhus Center. Participants were representatives from nine Armenian regions: members of the Aarhus Centers, lecturers, teachers, students as well as CSO representatives. 80% of the participants were young people.

The aim was to raise awareness of the RA actions towards the implementation of the Convention and the Convention-related documents, including the Compliance Committee decisions, the international processes and practices, as well as the 6th Meeting of the Parties of the Aarhus Convention and the third meeting of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR). The topics were presented by knowledgeable and experienced professionals. Participants reinforced their knowledge through team work. Some of them have now the opportunity to transfer the knowledge acquired at the local level or to conduct a study on the implementation of the Convention in Armenia.

A training course on the "Aarhus Convention Implementation at the Local Level" was held in the cities of Hrazdan and Kapan. Even in this case, participation of young people was strong. The participants of the training held in Hrazdan were teachers, representatives of CSOs and the judicial system; in Kapan, the participants were students of the Armenian National Polytechnic University (KNU) branch. The subject was completely new to them.

When, thanks to the Aarhus Center activity, students became familiar with the rights granted by the Convention and its success, they became convinced that the public could change even the decisions that have already been taken.

However, under the government's efforts to comply the civil society activities and national legislation with the Convention, it was highlighted the lack or inadequacy of some human rights legal tools.

Written by: "Public Awareness and Monitoring Center"