Statement by H.E. Mr. Tigran Avinyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, at the General Debate of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the auspices of the ECOSOC

16 հուլիսի, 2019

Statement by H.E. Mr. Tigran Avinyan,
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia,
General Debate of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the auspices of the ECOSOC
“Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.
New York, 16 July, 2019

Excellences,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, for the excellent organization and substantial debate of this year`s HLPF. Armenia is keen to contribute to the deliberations of the Forum, which we see as a central platform for sharing best practices, exchanging ideas and identifying new solutions and partnerships for the sustainable development goals.

Last year, Armenia presented its first VNR, highlighting the role of innovation, creative education and synergies for inclusive and collaborative common action. One year on, our country has gone through a peaceful transformation launching far-reaching, comprehensive reform agenda. The peaceful Velvet Revolution that took place in April-May last year, followed by the parliamentary elections held in December, marked an important step towards establishing a strong and robust democratic framework.

Supported by a strong mandate to carry on the political and economic transformations in Armenia, the Government has been resolute in reinforcing its agenda for “smart” development, with a strong focus on good governance and the policies of embracing national talent as the drivers for development. Advancing Sustainable development with particular emphasis on information and communication technologies, amplifying the growth of start-ups, fostering innovation and investing in young people’s skills and entrepreneurship are amongst the strategic priorities of the Government of Armenia, having embraced the bottom up dynamics and successful examples of business and impact investment initiatives. We are willing to build on the existing positive record of cooperation and support for the advancement of “smart development” as a strategic priority for action in our domestic agenda, as well as internationally.

In this context, I am happy to note that later this year, Armenia will host the 23rd World Congress on Information Technologies, which will bring together prominent industry leaders, policy makers, thinkers and innovators, to debate on the key questions facing the industry and the world, such as issues related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, impact of ICT in education, women in technology and many other issues of global interest. We are happy to extend invitation to all relevant stakeholders to participate and contribute to this very important conversation, which will take place in Yerevan on 6-9 October.

Mr. President,

Armenia is placing high priority on protection of human rights and freedoms, upholding the rule of law, fighting corruption and promoting equal rights and opportunities for all. To this effect, the government has embarked on the in-depth, comprehensive reform of the justice sector with a view to achieve a truly independent and impartial judicial system, in line with the ongoing efforts to develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions which are in support of Goal 16 of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Building peaceful and resilient societies requires upholding the rule of law and fostering inclusive participation in civic life of all segments of the society. In Armenia, women and youth were at the forefront of the peaceful Velvet Revolution, in full exercise of their fundamental freedoms of expression, belief and opinion, and the Government of Armenia has since promoted their meaningful participation in public affairs, political and economic processes, with a number of executive and legislative reforms currently underway to improve gender equality, achieve better employment policies and ensure decent work for all. As a candidate country for the UN Human Rights Council for the term 2020-2022, Armenia will continue to exert resolute efforts in promoting mechanisms and partnerships aiming at policies for inclusion, cohesion and solidarity and countering discrimination on all grounds.

Mr. President,

As a middle-income country and a landlocked developing country, which is located in one of the most seismically active regions of the world, Armenia is well familiar with the risk of environmental challenges, natural disasters and their impact on human societies. Recognizing the cross cutting nature of environmental and economic issues, the Government of the Republic of Armenia emphasizes the importance of the integration of economic and environmental policies. It is our firm conviction that the best economic decisions are made when the environmental aspects have been carefully taken into consideration. I am happy to note a very positive record of cooperation that Armenia has developed in implementing programs for energy efficiency and climate smart technologies, towards a low-emission and climate-resilient pathway for sustainable development. In this context, I would like to recall the high-level regional panel titled “Investing into Climate Smart Economies” organized by Armenia on Monday on the sidelines of the Forum, in partnership with the UNDP and the Eurasian Economic Union. The discussions looked into the effective models of collaboration to help scale up energy efficiency financing and investment and to promote innovation for low carbon growth and development. Armenia stands ready to continue to offer platforms for regional dialogue and to contribute to exchange and cooperation, in support of socially and environmentally impactful projects aimed at successful implementation of SDGs.

I thank you for your attention.

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