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Experts To Assess Armenia's Socio-Economic Policy Choices

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  • Experts To Assess Armenia's Socio-Economic Policy Choices

    EXPERTS TO ASSESS ARMENIA'S SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICY CHOICES

    The American University of Armenia will host a discussion

    YEREVAN-National and international experts will gather in Armenia's
    capital on November 30 for a one-day conference examining mining and
    socio-economic policy in Armenia.

    Organized by the American University of Armenia, the event aims to
    assess the choices available to the country as it seeks to balance
    economic gains with environmental and public health. The conference
    will be live-streamed online at http://aua.am/mining from 9:30 a.m. to
    5:30 p.m. (Armenia Time). Videos from the conference will be available
    following the event at http://aua.am/mining

    "Over the past decade, the Armenian government has made mining a
    priority for Armenia's economic growth. However, no serious public
    debate has occurred to examine policy choices available to Armenia
    regarding mining," said Alen Amirkhanian, of AUA's College of Science
    and Engineering. "With this conference, we hope to begin this critical
    public discourse, bringing together experts from across the world to
    present their analyses and discuss socio-economic policy choices
    available to Armenia."

    The keynote speaker of the conference, Dr. Saleem Ali, is the director
    of the Center for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University of
    Queensland, Australia. Ali will talk about the international
    experience of using mining as a tool for socio-economic development.

    He will also address the pitfalls that countries like Armenia should
    avoid.

    Three panel discussions will enable national and international experts
    to discuss the socio-economic impact of mining in Armenia. The first
    panel will examine whether mining can play a key role in Armenia's
    economic growth, while the second panel will focus on mining's impact
    on Armenia's environmental and public health. The event's last panel
    will explore whether Armenia's legal and institutional framework on
    mining fosters socio-economic development.

    These issues will be discussed against the larger backdrop of a
    growing unease both inside and outside Armenia on mining's potential
    benefits and risks to the country's social and economic development,
    as well as to the preservation of its natural and environmental
    resources.

    Thus far, the social, environmental, and health concerns have been
    overshadowed by the more practical argument that Armenia does not have
    many choices and mining will be the growth engine of its emerging
    economy. In the past two decades, however, there have been many
    constructive developments in the international arena around mining.

    The industry as a whole has improved its practices, while
    international organizations and governments have adopted standards for
    environmentally cleaner and socially more equitable mining.

    "Such constructive developments are almost always spurred by good
    public policy and grassroots pressure," explained Amirkhanian. "These
    global developments set standards from which re-emerging economies
    like Armenia can learn."

    The AUA conference aims to serve as a model for constructive and
    high-impact public policy debates in Armenia. The day-long event is
    open to the public.

    The American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent
    university located in Yerevan, Armenia. Founded in 1991, AUA is
    affiliated with the University of California. Through teaching,
    research, and public service, AUA serves Armenia and the region by
    supplying high-quality, graduate and undergraduate education,
    encouraging civic engagement, and promoting democratic values.

    The AUA is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior
    Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and
    Colleges, 985 Atlantic Avenue, #100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510-748-9001.

    http://asbarez.com/106762/experts-to-assess-armenia%E2%80%99s-socio-economic-policy-choices/




    From: A. Papazian
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