A two-day training course on the topic of “Green Customs” was held in Yerevan for representatives of law enforcement, inspection and national bodies designated under international environmental conventions.
The training was organized by the UN Environment Programme and the “Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center” SNCO of the Ministry of Environment of the RA, within the framework of the “Strengthening National Capacity of the Republic of Armenia in Sound Chemicals and Waste Management for Implementation of the Stockholm, Basel, Rotterdam, Minamata Conventions and SAICM” project.
Tigran Gabrielyan, Deputy Minister of Environment of the RA, delivered the opening speech at the event, emphasizing that an essential component of effective chemicals and waste management is the development of a unified operational system. Such a system should cover all stages of the chemical and waste lifecycle—including production, export, import, storage, transportation, distribution, use, and disposal.
Participants of the training were also welcomed by representatives of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Customs Initiative, the secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm, and Minamata Conventions, as well as the Montevideo Environmental Law Programme.
The primary objective of these conventions is to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of hazardous chemicals.
The training was organized for national authorities designated under the above-mentioned conventions, as well as customs and inspection bodies and other relevant stakeholders, to support the implementation and enforcement of obligations under the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm, and Minamata Conventions related to the import and export of chemicals and waste.
The representatives from the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure; the Customs Service; the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RA; the Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body; the Health and Labor Inspection Body; the Food Safety Inspection Body; the Market Surveillance Inspection Body; and the Statistical Committee of the RA.
 During the training, practical exercises were led by Jiabin Qin, Technical Attaché for Compliance and Support at the World Customs Organization, and Huib van Westen, Customs Expert at the United Nations Environment Programme.