Hambardzum Matevosyan, Minister of Environment of the RA, met with Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), in Kenya within the framework of the 7th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7).
During the meeting, the Minister presented Armenia’s priorities for sustainable and green urban and rural development. He highlighted the importance of developing strategies that support the transition to a green and circular economy, as well as the promotion of energy efficiency.
In this context, Minister Matevosyan stressed that Armenia can benefit from UN-Habitat’s expertise in developing “smart” cities and rural settlements and in advancing the circular economy.
The discussion also covered key areas of ongoing cooperation between the Urban Development Committee of the Republic of Armenia and UN-Habitat, including the integration of the digital urban planning services platform, the Urban Planning Cadastre, and the National Geoportal, along with several current and prospective joint initiatives.
As the host country of COP17, Armenia places high importance on addressing biodiversity from all perspectives, including the sustainable coexistence of human settlements and biodiversity conservation. The Minister noted the significant progress made in recent years through the adoption of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and expressed Armenia’s readiness to cooperate with UN-Habitat on their implementation, particularly on targets related to green urban transition and sustainable development.
He also informed that, within the framework of COP17, Armenia plans to host a Cities Forum with the participation of mayors and stakeholders from urban authorities, which will take place in parallel with the main conference.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Minister extended an invitation for UN-Habitat partners to visit Armenia.