Karlo Amirghulashvili Elected Chair of the Bern Convention Standing Committee

From December 8 to 12, the 45th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) was held in Strasbourg, France, under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

During the meeting, participants elected Karlo Amirghulashvili, Head of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, as Chair of the Bureau and the Standing Committee. It is noteworthy that Karlo Amirghulashvili has served as Vice-Chair of the Bureau since 2021.

The Bern Convention is one of the most important international agreements in the field of environmental protection. Accordingly, the appointment of a representative of Georgia to this position will contribute to Georgia’s increased visibility within European Union structures, the effective implementation of obligations undertaken under the EU–Georgia Association Agreement, the enforcement of the Convention in Georgia, and the effective implementation of environmental policy.

It is also significant that, to ensure the implementation of the Convention, the Emerald Network has been established in Georgia. As of 2023, the Emerald Network in Georgia covers 1,307,501 hectares and consists of 66 sites. At this stage, management plans for the Emerald Network sites are being developed.