Meeting of the Public Environmental Coordination Council under the Ministry of Natural Resources

On November 27, 2014, a meeting of the Public Environmental Coordination Council under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus took place. The Deputy Chairman of the AEB Maryna Barouka spoke on behalf of the Association.

During the meeting, the Board discussed the changes to the Law of the Republic of Belarus On Specially Protected Natural Areas. In addition, the Public Coordination Environmental Council considered creating watershed councils and allowing members of the public to participate in the meetings of the councils.

The Association proposed to revise the norms of the law On Specially Protected Natural Areas, which transfer all powers to coordinate research activities in protected natural areas to the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and to define the term “coordination of research activities” in the law.

Furthermore, the Association suggested that environmental information centers created by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection within the framework of international technical assistance projects in collaboration with UNDP, EU and other international donors become members of the watershed councils (e.g., Center for Sustainable Development and Ecotourism, Aarhus Center in Grodno, etc.).