BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 19. The “Environmental
Protection First” (EPF) Coalition sent an appeal to the
participants of the Leaders’ Summit to be held under the Motto
“Leaders for Nature” and COP17 in Armenia, Trend's correspondent
reports from the event.
The text of the appeal was presented at a press conference held
in this regard.
"We, the members of the 'Environmental Protection First' (EPF)
Coalition, consisting of Azerbaijani civil society activists
conducting public monitoring of the environmental impacts of
Armenia’s mining industry on the region’s environment and
transboundary rivers, appeal to the Presidency of the 17th
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(COP17) and the participants of the Leaders’ Summit in the theme of
'Leaders for Nature,' planned to be held prior to the COP17, in
Iravan, in October 2026.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is an
important international instrument that identifies progress toward
biodiversity targets and the implementation of the System of
Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) as key priorities. COP17
will represent a critical milestone for the global assessment of
the implementation of this Framework. Therefore, biodiversity
conservation must be accompanied by concrete actions.
Mining activities carried out in Armenia without following
international environmental standards pose serious ecological risks
to biodiversity, the environment, water resources, and ecosystems
across the South Caucasus region. Over the past three years, we
have repeatedly issued public appeals to the Armenian government on
this issue and expressed solidarity with environmental
organizations in Armenia exploring solutions to these problems.
Several transboundary rivers originate in Armenia and flow into
Azerbaijan. Observations and monitoring conducted downstream
indicate that mining activities in the upper reaches and
near-source areas of these rivers have led to harmful substance
concentrations exceeding permissible standards.
As the EPF Coalition, we consider it essential to conduct joint
monitoring missions within Armenia with the participation of
international experts in order to ensure a transparent and
comprehensive assessment of the current environmental situation.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) documentation of Armenia’s
mining enterprises should be made publicly available.
Azerbaijan is a Party to the UNECE Water Convention. In this
regard, we consider joint monitoring of transboundary waters,
information exchange, the establishment of early warning
mechanisms, and public access to environmental information to be of
utmost importance. Armenia, as the upstream country for
transboundary rivers flowing into Azerbaijan, is currently not a
Party to this Convention, despite the fact that these rivers have
significant environmental implications for the biodiversity of the
Kur-Araz rivers’ basins and ultimately for the Caspian Sea.
The Espoo Convention, to which Armenia is a Party, is one of the
key United Nations international agreements concerning
environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context. The
States Parties are obliged to inform neighboring countries and the
public about economic activities conducted near shared borders,
including mining operations, and to prepare and submit EIA reports
regarding such activities. This is an obligation that Armenia must
fulfill.
In 2014, at a meeting of the Parties to the Espoo Convention,
Armenia committed to provide transboundary EIA reports to
neighboring countries if the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant be
restored. Although Armenia has been negotiating with partners
regarding the replacement of the outdated nuclear reactor and the
continuation of the plant’s operations, it has not demonstrated
public accountability regarding environmental impacts or measures
to prevent radioactive contamination. Radioactive pollution
constitutes one of the greatest threats to biodiversity
conservation.
We believe that the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia
following the historic Washington Summit has created opportunities
for closer cooperation between civil society institutions in this
field. As the Environmental Protection First Coalition, we welcome
the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia and believe that
environmental justice can make a significant contribution to
sustainable peace in the South Caucasus.
We call upon the Presidency of COP17 and the participants of the
Leaders’ Summit to encourage Armenia to adopt concrete and
measurable decisions regarding the protection of transboundary
rivers; the proper management of mining activities; the
establishment of transparent monitoring mechanisms and
implementation of monitoring activities, and ensuring public access
to environmental information and data," the appeal said.
