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The Republic of Armenia signed the Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) on 17 June 1999 in London. Since then, the process of ratification has been initiated.
In order to facilitate the target setting process and gain experience in the implementation of the Protocol, the Ministry of Nature Protection with the assistance of the Protocol’s secretariat has drawn up a project proposal.

The project proposal, was submitted to the Project Facilitation Mechanism (PFM), established by the Parties to the Protocol under its article 14 , with the support of which the FinWaterWEI Steering Committee at its meeting in February 2012 made a decision about possible financing of the project.

Overall objective of the UNECE-FinWaterWei project:
To improve the ability of the Government of Armenia to comply with provisions of the Protocol on Water and Health and to develop targets, target dates and measures to assist Armenian authorities in implementing requirements of the Protocol, thus to promote at national level the protection of life and health of the public both in terms of individual and collective aspects, as well as to improve the management and use of water resources, including the protection of ecosystems, to improve safe water supply and discharge, and to control and reduce water-related diseases.

Specific objectives/impact:

  • – To provide assistance to Armenia in setting national and/or local targets 
  • – To facilitate the ratification by Armenia of the Protocol on Water and Health.

The project is implemented by UNECE jointly with the following main partners:

  • The Ministry of Nature Protection
  • The Ministry of Health
  • The Ministry of Territorial Administration
  • The NGO Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment, which coordinates the inputs of the NGO community and provides logistical support.

Major tasks and activities under the target setting process

  • Identification of key stakeholders and setting up a coordination mechanism 
  • Under the project, the following bodies will be set up: A Working Group (composed of experienced national experts and representatives of the UNECE secretariat), a Steering Committee, and a NGO Coordination Mechanism.
  • Baseline analysis
  • Identification and prioritisation of problems

Agreement on draft targets, programme of measures and indicators

  • Broad consultation on proposed targets and relevant programme of measures
  • Final agreement on targets and their publication and communication to all stakeholders
  • Stakeholder involvement

Project duration is 18 months and will be accomplished at the end of June, 2014.
The targets and target dates under the Protocol will be set by the end of the project. It is also expected that Armenia will have finalized all necessary internal processes to become a Party to the Protocol.

Steering Committee Meetings of the National Water Policy Dialogue on IWRM         

Text of the UNECE/WHO Protocol on Water and Health

NGO Consultations:

Roadmap to ratification of the Protocol on Water and Health by Armenia     PDFpdf-icon

Action Plan to support the implementation of targets and target dates     PDFpdf-icon

Brochure on the Protocol on Water and Health     PDFpdf-icon

Brochure on the draft targets and target dates     PDFpdf-icon

 

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