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The Mission of Association “For Sustainable Human Development”, established in January 1996 (Initiative group worked since 1995), is to advocate and spread in Armenia the main ideas, principles and values of sustainable development theory, to promote and assist the creation of a National Council on Sustainable Development and the elaboration and implementation of the SD Concept of Armenia, which will underlie the National Strategy of SD.

Since its creation the Association has been cooperating with UNDP office in Armenia – carried out UNDP projects on preparation and publication of the textbook on Sustainable Development for Universities and investigation in the sphere of SHD Index (1995-96), organized the First National Conference on SD (1997), actively participated in all UNDP measures, dedicated sustainable development issues. UNDP specialists and officers participated in many conferences, workshops, round-tables, organized by Association at local, national, regional and international levels.

From 1995 until 2001 Association participated in NHDRs preparation process. The work on the SHD Index has been honored with an international award, the calculation method is used by the RA State Statistic Committee and the results are located in NHDRs. In the period of her activities the organization published 20 books and brochures on SD, over 100 articles in newspapers and magazines, initiated numerous radio and TV programs. All these activities were supported by UN structures (UNDP, UNDPI, UNEP) Earth Council, USAID, the National Assembly and the Government of Armenia and were often implemented jointly.

Regional branches of the Association promote dissemination of the information all over the country. Since 2001 the Association has the status of UNEP National Committee. In 1999, the Association jointly with local experts prepared the National Report for NCSD’s Global Forum, held in New-York in April 2000. The National report was prepared around CSD8 themes (“Sustainable Agriculture Management”, “Financial and Economical Mechanisms of SD” and “Sustainable Forests Management”) and presented at the Forum on behalf of the RA Parliament and the Association.

Assessment processes “Rio+5” (1996-97) and “Rio+10” (2000-02) were initiated in the country by the Association. The organisation co-ordinated the entire process of preparation of Armenian civic society to WSSD, developed and published the Non-Governmental Assessment Report Rio+10, which underlay the National Assessment Report Rio+10 (in the introduction to the National Report the Prime Minister of Armenia highly evaluates the aforementioned activities). In 2001 the Association together with scientists, NGO’s, the business sector and others developed the Concept of Sustainable Development of Armenia, which was presented on WSSD.

In 2002 the Association conducted contests of journalists articles and Children’s Agenda 21 posters in the frames of the UN DESA worldwide contests “101 way to SD “(supported by UNDPI, Amer. Bar Assoc., Parliamnet of RoA and others) and presented the results on WSSD as well. In November of 2001 the Governmental Commission on Preparation to WSSD (including representative of the Association) was formed with the support of UNDP.

Two representatives of the Association took part at preparation of Governmental Assessment Report. The National Conference, organised by Government of RA and UNDP (May 2002), confirmed the National Assessment Report, which is rather harmonious with the non-governmental version, and the main principles and approaches of SD Concept of the RA. The Chairperson of the Association was included in the Governmental Delegation of Armenia to the Summit. Country reports to UN DESA “Capacity Building Workshop on Governance and Public Administration For Sustainable Development” in Thessaloniki (July 2002) and in Istanbul (Sept. 2000) were prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly with the Association.

In 2001, with the support and by the initiative of the Earth Council, the NGO network in Southern Caucasus was created. Since that time the Association, as the Regional Center for Sustainable Development of the Southern Caucasus (RCSD SC) has been coordinating multistakeholder regional cooperation by distributing the latest information on SD, thus becoming the main SD information service in the SC region.

Assessment process “Rio+10” were initiated by the Association (regional conference on November of 2000) and on May 17-18 of 2002 Regional Workshop “Exchange of Experience of Southern Caucasus NGOs on Preparation to WSSD” (at the support of the Earth Council, REC Caucasus, UNDP and UNEP) was held in Yerevan. The workshop decided to develop SD Concept for Southern Caucasus. The Concept (basic principles and approach) was developed, published and presented by Association on WSSD. Association received an accreditation on Rio+10 process during the Prepcom II.

The Chairperson of the Association have been participated on WSSD in August 26 – September 4 in Johannesburg. Association actively conducts WSSD follow-up:

In 2003 Association participates at development of National Report on Millennium Development Goals and UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP RoE) and the Association for Sustainable Human Development, signed on 26.06.2001, the Association gained the status of a UNEP National Committee for Armenia (UNEPCOM). In July 2004 Association received the Status of NGO associated with UN DPI.