Environment Ministry, Swedish government discuss draft law of Georgia “On Biological Diversity”

Georgia: Organized by the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture and with the financial support of the Swedish government, the draft law of Georgia “On Biological Diversity” was discussed.

Nino Thandilashvili and Kakha Kakabadze, Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, Nino Enukidze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, and Mzia Giorgobiani, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, attended the discussion of the project.

“Obligations stipulated by the new draft law apply to both state infrastructure projects and the private sector. It is important that each state agency is actively involved in the review process in order to submit to the parliament such a draft law that serves to protect and preserve biodiversity, will be enforceable in practice, and will not hinder the economic and infrastructural development of the country”, Nino Thandilashvili noted.

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At the meeting, the head of the Biodiversity and Forestry Policy Department, Karlo Amirgulashvili, presented a presentation on the new draft law.

The Law on Biological Diversity regulates the protection of species, habitats, ecosystems, and landscapes, the creation and management of areas included in international networks, and the use of wild plants, fungi, and wild animals.

The law is based on the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and aims to implement in Georgia the obligations imposed by the International Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Association Agreement with the European Union, as well as defines the issues of creating a national biodiversity strategy and action plan.

The draft law “On Biological Diversity” was prepared by Georgian experts at the initiative of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture and with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).