On 23 March, the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Zohrab Mnatsakanyan deposited Armenia’s instrument of accession to the Paris Agreement with the United Nations.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Mnatsakanyan highlighted that by ratifying Paris Agreement, Armenia reconfirms its long-term commitment to the global efforts of addressing climate change, as outlined in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) adopted by the Government of Armenia. “Armenia’s standing as a landlocked developing country, given also the vulnerabilities of its mountainous terrain and the ecosystems, requires prioritization of mitigation and adaptation to climate change, in line with the principles of ecosystem approach, and with a special focus on the sectors of economy and public life that are most vulnerable to climate change”, - explained the Armenian Ambassador at the High-level Action Event entitled “Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Agenda” under the auspices of the President of the UN General Assembly, who concluded the session by welcoming Armenia’s accession to Paris Agreement.

Information note: Paris Climate Change Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) on 12 December 2015 and will enter into force for Armenia on 22 April 2017.