AmCham and the RA Ministry of Nature Protection Organized Public Conference

On 13 March 2018, the RA Ministry of Nature Protection and AmCham organized “Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility” conference, where speakers addressed the issues of CSR on the environmental front. AmCham President, Mr. Ara Hovsepyan gave a welcoming speech regarding AmCham advocacy efforts for the best business practices in Armenia, in particular in Corporate Social Responsibility through its Responsible Business Network Initiative. “The discussion of the event brings environmental policy in focus, and AmCham encourages companies operating in all sectors, but most importantly, in mining sector to prioritize sustainable development. They should take a strong and committed approach to maintaining their engagement with and accountability to stakeholders and, above all, to the communities of Armenia. Moreover, only the constructive dialogue among RA Government, industry representatives and investors, as well as civil society can develop a legal framework that is in line with the international best practices on responsible mining. The legal framework will increase the economic and social benefits of the sector, meanwhile will decrease the negative impact on environment and public health. The introduction of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) standards will lead to the further development of transparent and accountable public and private systems,” Mr. Ara Hovsepyan stated. RA Minister of Nature Protection, Mr. Artsvik Minasyan continued the discussion with the topic of “Environmental Policy of the Republic of Armenia and Social Responsibility.” During the conference, the participants learned about the environmental democracy and the rights of corporations and environmental culture development from the Advisor to the RA Minister of Nature Protection, Mr. Artsrun Pepanyan and Legal Advisor to the RA Minister of Nature Protection, Ms. Haykanush Parsamyan. The discussion was followed by an active Q/A session and wine reception.

See event on Facebook here.