UN Environmental Governance Theme Group Tree Planting Activity Monitoring Visit

Alaverdi city, Sanahin Community / 4 December, 2007

By Ms. Consuelo Vidal, UN RC / UNDP RR

Dear Mr. Major, people of Alaverdi, colleagues, guests and media representatives

I am pleased to greet all of you today in this site of the city of Alaverdi where UN agencies -- UNDP, WFP and FAO -- in partnership with the Armenian Tree Project Foundation assisted local authorities to consolidate efforts of the local population and plant 15,000 trees to mitigate potential risk of landslides and create at least temporary employment opportunity.

The activity hence did not intend to make an environmental effect only. At the United Nations we always care and try to apply a more comprehensive approach to the social-economic issues. And we thought that this particular activity would serve as a bridge of those priorities within the environmental framework.

During the recent years the UN has been using all opportunities to address unemployment and poverty reduction issues across all thematic areas of its works. The UN through its thematic areas of work has been helping the Armenian authorities to implement its Social Employment Policy, thus aiming to prevent and seize the inflow of the Armenian population into long-term unemployment.

Throughout the last two years UNDP alone with partner organizations and local communities has assisted the local population of Armenia in strengthening their involvement in the solution of the local environmental problems. This assistance resulted in reforestation of around 260 ha of forest (600,000 trees) with involvement of 240 local residents in close cooperation with regional authorities.

Mr. Major, we understand that our activity cannot be considered complete with tree planting since more efforts will be required to make the trees become forest. And this daily very important task rests with you and community residents and will require your commitment and care.

I do believe that we all have gained a valuable experience to address community development challenges through partnership and hope that this small activity will contribute to the improvement of the environmental condition in this historical and beautiful place of district of Sanahin of the city of Alaverdi. We also hope that this activity will serve a good ground for further projects with the similar modality to improve environmental and social conditions across Armenia.

Thank you and congratulations to all of us for the successful completion of the works.

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