UNDP Seminar Discusses Proposals to Strengthen National Legislation on Biodiversity Conservation  Ashgabat, 19 June 2009 – Lawyers, environmentalists, as well as senior managers of Turkmenistan’s key ministries, agencies and local administrations gathered together at a UNDP seminar in the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan to discuss a number of specific proposals to strengthen the environmental component of national laws. The proposals were developed and presented by the UNDP Project “Conservation and Sustainable Use of Globally Significant Biological Diversity in Hazar Nature Reserve on the Caspian Sea Coast” with a view to strengthening the legislative framework for biodiversity conservation. Backed up by the comprehensive research and consultations with conservation organizations at local and national levels, the proposals suggest relevant amendments to Turkmenistan’s legislation, including accountability at the local level for compliance with sustainable management of biological resources. Following the overview of environmental components that should be reinforced in the national legislation, the seminar participants discussed ways for improving the management of biological resources, including increasing the level of accountability of local authorities, introduction of progressive system of administrative punishment for violation of environmental laws, particularly in relation to hunting, fishing, pollution of protected areas as well as mechanisms of control and prohibition of illegal sale of biological resources.
According to UNDP consultant Arslan Orazov, changes and amendments to the national legislation are important given the environmental pressures of our times. They imply the need to further improve the national legislation governing conservation of protected areas in Turkmenistan. As a result of discussions, the UNDP project plans to come up with the final version of proposals for amendments to the national legislation to be submitted to the Turkmen Parliament for further consideration. The UNDP project "Conservation and Sustainable Use of Globally Significant Biological Diversity in Hazar Nature Reserve on the Caspian Sea Coast" started in 2006. It is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan and Global Environment Facility. The main goal of the project is to preserve globally significant biological diversity of Turkmenistan trough strengthening sustainability of the country’s national protected areas system. For more information please contact: Timur Dosmamedov, Communications Associate
UNDP Turkmenistan
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