Armenia’s Prosecutor General presents efforts to protect environmentally significant lands and biodiversity at COP17

Armenia’s Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan participated on October 29 in a panel discussion held as part of COP17 in Yerevan on issues ranging from the legal interpretation of environmental principles to their practical application and ensuring effective environmental protection.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the discussion was an opportunity for Vardapetyan to present the experience of the Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia in ensuring environmental justice.

She also addressed the return of illegally alienated environmentally significant lands, the elimination of legislative and law enforcement gaps that lead to environmental damage, and prosecutorial measures aimed at protecting wildlife and biodiversity.

Addressing the work carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office to protect state and community interests, Vardapetyan emphasized the importance of preserving specially protected natural areas, including green spaces.

“An important principle underlying our work is that specially protected natural areas, including green spaces, cannot be privately owned; they belong to the present and future generations of Armenia,” the Prosecutor General said, adding that, as a result of the Prosecutor’s Office's successful lawsuits and prosecutorial measures, state and community ownership rights over environmentally significant lands have been restored in various regions of Armenia and in Yerevan.

The Prosecutor General’s Office reported the following returned lands:

In Yerevan, in the area adjacent to the TV tower, the Republic of Armenia's ownership rights have been restored over six land plots with a total area of 7.5 hectares, valued at no less than $9.215 million.

A 67-hectare environmentally significant land plot located within Dilijan National Park has been returned to the possession of the Dilijan community. Its value is estimated at no less than $12.436 million.

In the Ararat and Vayots Dzor provinces, approximately 5,330 hectares of environmentally significant land have been returned to the possession of the Republic of Armenia, with a value of at least $167.347 million.

In the coastal zone of Lake Sevan, as a result of measures taken since December 2025 based on prosecutorial intervention, approximately 12 hectares of recreational land have been cleared of illegal structures. Forty-one land plots, valued at no less than $1.696 million, have been returned to the possession and use of the Republic of Armenia and the Sevan National Park.

The Prosecutor General emphasized that the institutional role of the Prosecutor’s Office in the environmental sector is not limited to protecting state and community interests. The Prosecutor’s Office also focuses on legislative and law enforcement gaps that may lead to environmental damage.

As an example, Vardapetyan presented the findings of a study conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office following the flooding of the Debed River in May 2024. The study identified shortcomings in the legal regulations governing land use and construction in the coastal areas of the Debed and Aghstev rivers. The Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the Government, proposing that the necessary steps be taken to approve the river basin management plan and define the list of lands belonging to the water fund.

“The purpose of the initiative was not only to provide a legal assessment of the events that had taken place, but also to help reduce the risks of similar disasters in the future,” Anna Vardapetyan stressed.

Addressing the legislation governing the use of national park lands, she also presented the Prosecutor’s Office's proposals aimed at preventing improper land use and damage to natural landscapes in specially protected natural areas.

“Expanding opportunities for economic activity in specially protected natural areas must not lead to improper land use, the degradation of natural landscapes and, ultimately, harm to the public interest,” the Prosecutor General emphasized.

Anna Vardapetyan also referred to a specific example of prosecutorial intervention aimed at protecting wildlife.

“Three brown bears listed in the Red Book, which were being kept in violation of legal requirements in the courtyard of an apartment building in one of Yerevan’s residential neighborhoods, were transferred on March 19, 2025, as a result of prosecutorial intervention and within the framework of criminal proceedings, to the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets, in the settlement of Urtsadzor in the Vedi community, where they were placed in the Foundation's care to ensure their further welfare. This example demonstrates that legal proceedings aimed at protecting wildlife cannot be limited solely to recording a violation or bringing charges. It is also necessary to ensure the safe relocation, protection and proper subsequent care of the animals,” Anna Vardapetyan said.

Addressing the Prosecutor’s Office's international cooperation in combating environmental offenses, the Prosecutor General highlighted the fact that the Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia had joined the European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE) as an observer.

In conclusion, Vardapetyan emphasized that environmental justice requires consistent work at every stage of the legal process, from the interpretation of environmental principles to the investigation of violations, judicial assessment, implementation of legal measures and prevention of further damage.

“The rule of law and environmental protection are not separate objectives. And it is our responsibility to ensure tangible and visible results for the protection of nature, the biosphere, biodiversity and the human genome,” Anna Vardapetyan said.