Armenia State Revenue Committee focuses on biodiversity protection

Officials from the Armenian State Revenue Committee (SRC) are emphasizing the role of customs services in preserving biodiversity by preventing the illegal movement of wild animals and rare plants. This issue is a significant component of the COP17 agenda.

Lilit Ghazaryan and Mariam Titizyan of the SRC highlighted the ‘Green Customs’ initiative, which operates under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme. This initiative focuses on developing educational programs to enhance the capabilities of customs officers in identifying risks and nuances related to cross-border biological smuggling.

Since 2021, a tripartite memorandum has existed between the State Revenue Committee, the Ministry of Environment, and the State University of Economics to integrate customs administration training into student curricula. The SRC’s anti-smuggling department utilizes information analysis and risk assessment to conduct targeted inspections to mitigate these environmental threats.