The United Nations, including its agencies, is a key partner of the Republic of Belarus in many important areas, including environmental protection.

Protecting Nature is not a cost, Protecting Nature it is an investment.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus is responsible for 24 environmental Conventions and Protocols.

Our goals: not to exceed maximum permissible levels of anthropogenic impact on ecosystems; to create conditions for environmental stability and preservation of human health; to develop and implement environmental policy on the basis of harmonization of ecological objectives with socio-economic development objectives.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REVIEWS. Almost all of the recommendations of the first and the second environmental performance reviews have been implemented.

These recommendations provided a basis and support for implementation of institutional, legislative and other reforms in the environmental protection field.

Environmental Efficiency Index of the Republic of Belarus 2005 – 73d place 2014 – 32d out of 178 countries

«Ecological footprint» of the Republic of Belarus reduced from 5,27 global ha per person in 2000 to 3,9 ha in 2012

More than 10 Strategies and Programs have been developed and

are being implemented now.

Belarus develops the national economy on the basis of sustainable development principles,

that presupposes complex integration of economic, social and ecological components.

The environmental monitoring system is aimed at: improvement of data quality and data fidelity in accordance with international standards; Increase of technical quality of observations; use of ecological information in the planning processes of socio-economic development of the Republic of Belarus, implementation of obligations under international agreements.

«Greening» of economy is regarded as an important tool to ensure sustainable development and ecological security of the country.

Activities on the replacement of technologies with the ozone-friendly ones are being carried out; a system of the re-use of ozone-depleting substances is being developed.

We are keen to prevent environmental impact of waste disposal and to use the wastes as secondary raw materials.

According to observation data of 20 industrial cities of the Republic, in most controlled cities the state of air is steadily good, which is the proof to success of the policy, pursued in the field of air protection.

The Republic of Belarus is aware of the importance of taking concrete and effective measures to resolve a climate change problem and to protect environment in general.

Since the second Environmental Performance Review

Belarus has adhered to the Bern Convention, the Nagoya Protocol, the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

The President of the Republic of Belarus signed a new Water Code of the Republic of Belarus, which presupposes such new mechanisms as basin management principles.

Our country signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury and we count on the support from donor community for ratification and further implementation of the Convention in the country.

A curriculum for elective course “Green schools” was elaborated and approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus.

150 schools of the country are involved in this programme.

The National Aarhus Centre has operated since 30 December 2005. In 2011 the first regional Aarhus Centre was established in Grodno.

Public participation in decision-making process on environmental issues is ensured during discussions within the framework of Public Advisory Ecological Council.

System of specially protected areas of the Republic of Belarus

4 National Parks («Belovezhskaya Pushcha»,

«Braslav lakes», «Pripyatskiy»,

«Narochanskiy»)

the Berezinskiy biosphere reserve;

85 reserves of republican importance

247 reserves of local importance

900 monuments of nature (of republican and local

importance)

Specially protected areas cover 8,7 % of the country’s territory (as on 01.01.2014 – 7,7 %)

More than 20 specially protected areas are of international importance.

3 underground dumpings of obsolete pesticides were eliminated

synthetic pesticides stored on the territories of agricultural enterprises were repacked;

Total amount of polychlorinated biphenyls declined by 17%;

about 2 103,5 tons of obsolete pesticides and strongly contaminated soil were withdrawn and packed.;

1 843,615 tons of pesticides were removed and disposed.

The modern system of separate waste collection and extraction of secondary material resources was introduced in the two pilot regions of Belarus (Kobrin, Mosty).

Amount of secondary raw materials extracted from waste has increased 1,5-2 times (from 487 tоns to 945 tons in Kobrin; from 237 tons to 390 tons in Mosty).

Principle of extended producer responsibility is valid in the Republic of Belarus.

Integrated environmental permits are been issued (IEP).

The third Environmental Performance Review of the Republic of Belarus 2015 – not only an important step for all of us, but also hard work and significant responsibility .

From our point of view, the EPR – is an important assessment tool:

progress of the country, reached in the field of environmental policy improvement;

efficiency of measures taken for reduction of environmental burdens, caused by anthropogenic activities,

main results, reached in the field of natural resources’ management

The EPR is an important source of complex ecological data in different economic sectors, which is aimed at the presentation of an objective opinion of international experts.

We are interested in recommendations of international experts to further implement activities of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus and other public authorities, with the aim to:

consolidate the course of the country, focused on sustainable development (implementation of green economy principles),

Improve horizontal interaction inside of the country,

raise the profile of environmental protection authority on national level and develop international cooperation.

We look forward to attract expert and financial capacities of international organizations and donor countries with the aim to resolve ecological problems in the country.

In the follow up on the results of the third EPR, we hope that international community will take an active part in implementation of the following areas in the Republic of Belarus :

interconnection between environmental state and human health (Environmental health). We pay a special attention to the role of the environmental monitoring;

development and implementation of economic arguments and tools for encouragement of investments in environmental technologies;

development of financial mechanisms for attraction of the business to «green» economy, and development of ecological tourism in particular;

experience on the introduction and use of natural capital accounting and ecosystem services’ approaches;

promotion of environmentally sustainable urban planning using the EU experience in such areas as «Green capital», «Green leaf», «Sysmbio-city».

The EPR is a mechanism for stimulating mobilization of governmental and private, national and international resources to strengthen global partnership for future

development.

Thank you for attention!