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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO EXAMINE FUTURE OF MINING IN ARMENIA
Armenian Weekly
November 21, 2012
Experts to Assess Armenia's Socio-economic Policy Choices
YEREVAN-National and international experts will gather in Armenia's
capital on Nov. 30 for a one-day conference examining mining and
socio-economic policy in Armenia.
Organized by the American University of Armenia (AUA), the event aims
to assess the choices available to the country as it seeks to balance
economic gains with environmental and public health. The conference
will be live-streamed online at www.aua.am/mining from 9:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m.
"Over the past decade, the Armenian government has made mining a
priority for Armenia's economic growth. However, no serious public
debate has occurred to examine policy choices available to Armenia
regarding mining," said Alen Amirkhanian, of AUA's College of Science
and Engineering. "With this conference, we hope to begin this critical
public discourse, bringing together experts from across the world
to present their analyses and discuss socio-economic policy choices
available to Armenia."
The keynote speaker of the conference, Dr. Saleem Ali, is the director
of the Center for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University
of Queensland, Australia. Ali will talk about the international
experience of using mining as a tool for socio-economic development.
He will also address the pitfalls that countries like Armenia should
avoid.
Three panel discussions will enable national and international experts
to discuss the socio-economic impact of mining in Armenia. The first
panel will examine whether mining can play a key role in Armenia's
economic growth, while the second panel will focus on mining's impact
on Armenia's environmental and public health. The event's last panel
will explore whether Armenia's legal and institutional framework on
mining fosters socio-economic development.
These issues will be discussed against the larger backdrop of a growing
unease both inside and outside Armenia on mining's potential benefits
and risks to the country's social and economic development, as well
as to the preservation of its natural and environmental resources.
Thus far, the social, environmental, and health concerns have been
overshadowed by the more practical argument that Armenia does not have
many choices and mining will be the growth engine of its emerging
economy. In the past two decades, however, there have been many
constructive developments in the international arena around mining.
The industry as a whole has improved its practices, while
international organizations and governments have adopted standards
for environmentally cleaner and socially more equitable mining.
"Such constructive developments are almost always spurred by good
public policy and grassroots pressure," explained Amirkhanian. "These
global developments set standards from which re-emerging economies
like Armenia can learn."
The AUA conference aims to serve as a model for constructive and
high-impact public policy debates in Armenia. The day-long event is
open to the public.
From: A. Papazian
Armenian Weekly
November 21, 2012
Experts to Assess Armenia's Socio-economic Policy Choices
YEREVAN-National and international experts will gather in Armenia's
capital on Nov. 30 for a one-day conference examining mining and
socio-economic policy in Armenia.
Organized by the American University of Armenia (AUA), the event aims
to assess the choices available to the country as it seeks to balance
economic gains with environmental and public health. The conference
will be live-streamed online at www.aua.am/mining from 9:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m.
"Over the past decade, the Armenian government has made mining a
priority for Armenia's economic growth. However, no serious public
debate has occurred to examine policy choices available to Armenia
regarding mining," said Alen Amirkhanian, of AUA's College of Science
and Engineering. "With this conference, we hope to begin this critical
public discourse, bringing together experts from across the world
to present their analyses and discuss socio-economic policy choices
available to Armenia."
The keynote speaker of the conference, Dr. Saleem Ali, is the director
of the Center for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University
of Queensland, Australia. Ali will talk about the international
experience of using mining as a tool for socio-economic development.
He will also address the pitfalls that countries like Armenia should
avoid.
Three panel discussions will enable national and international experts
to discuss the socio-economic impact of mining in Armenia. The first
panel will examine whether mining can play a key role in Armenia's
economic growth, while the second panel will focus on mining's impact
on Armenia's environmental and public health. The event's last panel
will explore whether Armenia's legal and institutional framework on
mining fosters socio-economic development.
These issues will be discussed against the larger backdrop of a growing
unease both inside and outside Armenia on mining's potential benefits
and risks to the country's social and economic development, as well
as to the preservation of its natural and environmental resources.
Thus far, the social, environmental, and health concerns have been
overshadowed by the more practical argument that Armenia does not have
many choices and mining will be the growth engine of its emerging
economy. In the past two decades, however, there have been many
constructive developments in the international arena around mining.
The industry as a whole has improved its practices, while
international organizations and governments have adopted standards
for environmentally cleaner and socially more equitable mining.
"Such constructive developments are almost always spurred by good
public policy and grassroots pressure," explained Amirkhanian. "These
global developments set standards from which re-emerging economies
like Armenia can learn."
The AUA conference aims to serve as a model for constructive and
high-impact public policy debates in Armenia. The day-long event is
open to the public.
From: A. Papazian