On 29 October 2026, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan participated in a panel discussion held within the framework of the 17^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, dedicated to issues ranging from the legal interpretation of environmental principles to their practical application and ensuring effective environmental protection.

During the discussion, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia presented the experience of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia in ensuring environmental justice and addressed the return of unlawfully alienated lands of environmental significance, the elimination of legislative and law-enforcement gaps leading to environmental damage, as well as prosecutorial intervention aimed at protecting wildlife and biodiversity.

Referring to the work carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office within the framework of the protection of state and community interests, Anna Vardapetyan emphasised the importance of safeguarding specially protected natural areas, including green zones. “A fundamental principle underpins our work: specially protected natural areas, including green zones, must not become objects of private ownership. They belong to the people of Armenia, both present and future generations,” the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia noted, adding that, as a result of granting the claims of the Prosecutor’s Office, state and community ownership rights over lands of environmental significance have been restored in various regions of Armenia and in Yerevan.

In particular:

·         In Yerevan, the Republic of Armenia’s ownership rights were restored over six plots of land adjacent to the Yerevan TV Tower, covering a total area of 7.5 hectares and having an estimated value of at least 9 million 215 thousand USD.

·         In Dilijan, 67 hectares of environmentally protected land- part of the National Park of Diilijan - with an estimated value of at least 12 million 436 thousand USD, were returned to community possession.

·         In the Ararat and Vayots Dzor regions, approximately 5330 hectares of environmentally protected land, with an estimated value of at least 167 million 347 thousand USD, have been restored to the possession and use of the Republic of Armenia.

·         Along the shores of Lake Sevan, in recent one year, illegally built structures were abolished from approximately 12 hectares of recreational land. This area is of particular importance for the preservation of the Lake Sevan ecosystem. As a result, 41 plots of land, with an estimated value of at least 1 million 696 thousand USD, have been restored to the possession and use of the Republic of Armenia and the Sevan National Park.

The institutional role of the Prosecutor’s Office in environmental protection is not limited to safeguarding state interests. Gaps in the legal framework that may contribute to environmental disasters are also under the attention of the prosecution service.

Anna Vardapetyan illustrated the example of the environmental disaster caused by the flooding of the Debed River in May 2024, the Prosecutor’s Office examined the legality of land development in the surrounding areas of the river. The examination revealed gaps in the legal framework that had contributed to unlawful land usage, unlawful  constructions along the banks of the Debed and Aghstev rivers. Based on the examination results, Prosecutor’s Office proposed the Government to take steps to approve the river basin management plan and establish the list of lands belonging to the water fund. The proposal intended to prevent similar disasters in the future, rather than provide legal assessment of the events that had occurred.

“The proposal intended to prevent similar disasters in the future, rather than provide legal assessment of the events that had occurred,” Anna Vardapetyan emphasised and, referring to the legislative regulations governing the use of national park lands, also presented the proposals of the Prosecutor’s Office aimed at preventing the risks of land being used for purposes other than those intended and damage to natural landscapes in specially protected natural areas.

 “Expanding opportunities for economic activity in specially protected natural areas must not lead to the misuse of land, the degradation of natural landscapes or, ultimately, harm to the public interest,” Anna Vardapetyan emphasized.

Anna Vardapetyan also referred to a specific example of prosecutorial intervention aimed at protecting wildlife. “Three brown bears listed in the Red Data Book, which were being kept in violation of legal requirements in the yard of an multi-apartment residental building in one of Yerevan’s districts, as a result of prosecutorial intervention and within the framework of criminal proceedings, were transferred on 19 March 2025 to the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets in Urtsadzor Settlement of Vedi Community, where they were placed in responsible care to ensure their continued welfare. This case demonstrates that legal action to protect nature and wildlife cannot be limited to establishing that an offence has occurred or bringing criminal charges. It must also address the protection of the animals, their safe transfer and the provision of appropriate care thereafter,” Anna Vardapetyan noted.

Referring to the international cooperation of the Prosecutor’s Office in combating environmental offences, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia highlighted the importance of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia joining the European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE) with a status of an observer.

In conclusion, Anna Vardapetyan emphasised that environmental justice must be ensured throughout the  combination of complex processes - from the interpretation of environmental principles to the investigation and prosecution of offences, judicial assessment, enforcement and prevention of future harm and illegal actions.

“The rule of law and environmental protection are not separate objectives. It is our responsibility to deliver tangible and measurable results in safeguarding nature, the biosphere, biodiversity and the human genome,” Anna Vardapetyan noted.