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By signing the final documents of the UN Conference on Environment and Development,
Azerbaijan Republic has confirmed its adherence to ideas of sustainable development.
Azerbaijan has joined major international conventions and agreements and wishes to
actively take part in the ‘Environment for Europe’ process and in the Pan-European Biological
and Landscape Diversity Strategy. Azerbaijan Republic has completed the
development of its National Action Plan on the Protection of
Environment. |
a z e r b a i j a n |
The discussion of this important document took place at the international
seminar in Baku on the 12-14 June 1997. Subsequently, on the 8 January 1998 the
Government Commission has approved this plan. In the framework of the Azerbaijan
National Environmental Action Plan, the projects targeted at biodiversity
conservation were stipulated and carried out.
 national legislation
The legislation on biodiversity conservation is wide-ranging and complex. Besides the Law on
Environment and Natural Resources, it includes various normative acts regulating economic activities.
The Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic (1995) is the basis for the legislation in the Republic.
The Constitution stipulates that environment and natural resources of the republic are the property
of the people. In the interests of the present and future generations the government is to take
necessary measures on the protection and rational use of the land and its entrails, water resources,
vegetation and fauna.
The main legal act in the field of nature protection is the Law ‘on Environmental Protection’,
which was adopted in 1999.
The Law ‘On Fauna’ (1999) regulates activity on protection and use of fauna and its environment.
The legal issues on protection, use and reproduction of wood resources are regulated by the
‘Forestry Code of Azerbaijan’ (1998).
The legal act on ‘Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Azerbaijan’ (1996) serves as one of
the means of checking at the inception phase of the project the conformity of the project to the
requirements of the nature protection legislation including, in particular, requirements on flora
and fauna protection and their habitats, or other elements of biodiversity.
There are also legal regulating activities in the fields of fishery and agriculture,
land and water usage, which have no direct impact at biodiversity, but affect its resources.
The following examples could be given:
- The Act ‘on Fish Facilities’ obliges fishery enterprises to ensure protection of habitats,
conditions of breeding and migration of fishes;
- The Act ‘on Water’ obliges enterprises using water to take measures on fish protection,
to provide observance of a minimally allowed level of water expenditure appropriated to ecological
and fish protection norms on water facilities.
As the majority of the laws are of a framework character, they require further development in the
normative acts determining exact measures, responsible departments, procedures, terms, the budgets,
etc. In this area there are many other tasks that need to be accomplished.
One of priority tasks should be the consideration of interests of biodiversity conservation in the
legislation. Therefore, it is necessary to reveal and fill in the gaps that exist in the system of
legal regulation (ecosystems and landscapes protection, genetic resources, etc.). On the whole, it
can be said that currently Azerbaijan authorities are actively developing the legal basis for
biodiversity conservation and use.
international agreements and cooperation
Laws of Azerbaijan Republic relating to the environment:
- 30.12.1997 - Law on Radiation Safety of the Population
- 30.12.1997 - Forestry Code
- 27.03.1998 - Law On Fisheries
- 23.06.1998 - Law on Acceding to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
- 23.06.1998 - Law on Acceding to the Resolution on Protection of Sturgeon Species
- 08.06.1998 - Law Environmental Protection
- 13.02.1999 - On the Entrails of the Earth
- 13.02.1999 - Presidential Decree on the Application of the Law on Hydrometeorological Activity
- 01.02.1999 - Law on Acceding to the EIA Convention in a Transboundary Context>/li>
- 04.06.1999 - Law On Fauna
- 09.08.1999 - Land Code
- 09.08.1999 - Water Code
- 10.08.1999 - Law on gas supply
It is evident from the above-mentioned that the necessary legal basis for the conservation
of wild nature and natural habitats has been established in Azerbaijan.
The exploitation of fauna and flora objects is strictly regulated. Depending on their
numbers, the annual limit of both flora and fauna objects usage is defined.
The newly adopted Code ‘on Administrative Offences’ regulates the administrative measures of the
responsibility for infringements of the adopted regulations on the use of fauna and flora objects
and their habitats.
‘The Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic’ defines the measures of the criminal liability for
similar offences. It also determines the order of the liability for the infringement of wild nature
objects use. Due to its geographical arrangement and natural conditions, Azerbaijan plays an important
role for rest, wintering and nesting of migratory birds. Special attention is given to protection of
migrating species and their habitats.
List of conventions which have been signed and ratified by Azerbaijan
| Years of signature and ratification |
Name of conventions |
| 31.05 94 |
Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) |
| 10.01.95 |
UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change |
| 10.01.95 |
Vienna Convention
for the protection of the Ozone Layer |
| 23.06.98 |
Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) |
| 29.04.98 |
UN Convention to
Combat Desertification |
| 1998 |
International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) |
| 1999 |
Environmental
Impact Assessment in the Transboundary Context |
| 1999 |
Aarhus Convention |
| 14.03.2000 |
Convention on
Biological Diversity |
| 2000 |
Convention on
Conservation of European Wildlife and
Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) |
| 2000 |
Convention on the
Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes |
| 2000 |
Convention on
Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat’ (Ramsar
convention) |
| 2001 |
International
Treaty on PGRFA |
Azerbaijan carries out international co-operation on a bilateral and multilateral basis,
at regional and global levels, co-operating with other countries, international organisations,
participating in international programmes and projects. Recent years top-level meetings, conferences
and symposiums have served as the beginning for the development of mechanisms for biodiversity
conservation. The circle of the international organisations - partners interested in realization
of biodiversity conservation projects in the republic was defined. So, among numerous international
governmental organisations which the republic actively co-operates with in area of biodiversity
conservation, it is necessary to mention the UNEP, UNDP, UNESCO, TACIS, Council of Europe, World
Bank, etc.
The co-operation with international non-governmental organisations acting on various aspects of
biodiversity conservation (World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), World Conservation Union (IUCN)),
or specialised in separate directions (for example, Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Wetlands
International and others) is also important for Azerbaijan.
Among others, the following activities have been carried out:
- In January 1998 all Caspian countries, with assistance and financing of
the World Bank, TACIS Programs, GEF, UNEP and UNDP have begun development of the Caspian
Ecological Program;
- The National committee on the development and implementation of the National strategy in
the field of a biological and landscape diversity of Azerbaijan has been set up. This work will
contribute to the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy.
- Action plans on priority directions of activity of the Programme have been developed and include:
- Special Protected natural territories;
- Conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems;
- Rare and endangered fauna and flora species;
In co-operation with Russia and Georgia and the Worldwide Fund for Nature the project on
‘ The Creation on East Caucasus transboundary natural protected territory, on a basis of
Zakatali, Lagodekhi and Tlyarati reserves’ is in course of implementation.
governmental organizations and their functional role in
the conservation of biodiversity in Azerbaijan
Each of the governing bodies and
organisations responsible for the management, protection and sustainable use of natural
resources has different roles and responsibilities.
Milli Mejlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan develops legal basis for conservation and sustainable
use of biological resources.
Government and the executive authority organs, according to the competence, establish the
order for conservation and use of wild nature, adjust activity of nature users according to
the legislation, accept the decisions on creation of protected areas, approve the payment
rates for use of biological resources.
State Committee on Ecology and Nature is the central executive body of the country in the
field of protection of an environment. It is responsible for the co-ordination and control
in this sphere, state ecological examination, biodiversity conservation, and also management
protected areas. State Committee on Ecology and Nature is also in charge of the control of
performance for the obligations stipulated by the conventions and the agreements in this area.
State Committee on Ecology and State Committee on Hydrometeorology carry out national state
monitoring of the environment.
Industrial Association "Azerforest" and State Concern "Azerbalic" are directly responsible
for use, protection and reproduction of woods and fish stocks accordingly.
The ecologically sustainable economic development in the Republic requires a solid system of
environmental management. That is why the Government has approved by its order the project
on the ‘Improvement of a Control System and Control of Environment of the Azerbaijan Republic’
financed by the World Bank and the Khow-How Fund (United Kingdom), which is currently in the
course of implementation.
The Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan Republic within its structure has special scientific
divisions of biological (Institutes of Zoology, Botany, Genetic Resources and others) and
common ecological (Institutes of Geography, Ecology etc.) directions.
Scientific organisations, together with higher education institutions and some branch research
institutes, provide scientific support of measures on biodiversity conservation, including:
identifying biodiversity objects, making an inventory of flora and fauna, giving an estimation
of a genetic variety of biotics, finding the norms and rules of use of biological resources,
developing the methods for the restoration of ecosystems. The Institute of Genetic Resources
was created in 2003 on the basis of the Institute of Genetics and Selection of the National
Academy of Sciences (ANAS) (without any succession rights). The Institute is responsible for
the coordination of the specialized institutes in the area of PGR.
Currently in Azerbaijan there are more than 30 public ecological non-governmental organizations
and associations. In particular, we can mention the scientific societies, whose activity is
connected to scientific aspects of biodiversity conservation, such as the Botanical society,
the Zoological society, the Geographical society and some others.
Some of the NGOs are engaged in problems of biodiversity conservation in the framework of
education, which is very important in informing public of a value of biodiversity and its
conservation.
the national program on plant genetic resources in Azerbaijan
Management of the National Programme
The State Commission on Plant Genetic Resources at the Presidential Machinery of
Azerbaijan was established after achievement of the independence in 1990. The National
Programme (NP) was created by the State Commission which also develops strategy, policy
and action plans on plant genetic resources for the implementation of the NP. Activities
are coordinated by the National Council on Plant Genetic Resources.
The basic purposes of the NP are collecting, research, rational use of varieties,
provision, documentation and organization of PGR protection and conservation in the country.
Structure of the National Programme
Eight working groups cover the following area: grain cereals; legumes; vegetable and horticultural
crops; fruit and berry species; subtropical crops and grapes; technical, aromatic and medicinal
plants; pasture and fodder crops; and forest species. The National Council coordinates activities
through working groups of research institutes dealing with their respective crops. The groups are
supervised by the chairman of the Commission.
State Commission on Plant Genetic Resources
In November 02 2001 Academician Jalal Aliyev’s and D.Ph. Zeynal Akparov’s report on
“The existing state and prospects of PGR” has been brought. Implementation of a scientific
trend dedicated to investigation of Biodiversity Genetic Resources has been resolved in the
Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences.
In December 21 2002 the Decree of the former president Mr. Heydar Aliyev on the purpose of GR
activities strengthening a State Commission has been created; the Commission consisted of
high-grade leadership officers from the Cabinet of Ministers, President Office and Academy of Sciences.
In January 30 2003 the Cabinet of Ministers has signed a resolution on Genetic Resources Institute
establishment.
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