A group of civil society organizations and citizens concerned about the state of the environment has issued a joint statement ahead of COP17 condemning the start of operations at the Amulsar gold mine. The statement is signed by 65 organizations, initiatives and individuals. They argue that the environmental and socio-economic problems raised over the years have received no realistic, well-reasoned response.

According to the statement, on October 10, 2026, just days before the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, a ceremony marking the start of mining operations was held, featuring a gold bar presented as the product of the full production cycle. The signatories consider this at odds with the spirit of a conference devoted to biodiversity protection and with Armenia's international standing as COP17 host.

Key risks highlighted by the signatories

• International obligations. The Standing Committee and Bureau of the Bern Convention have repeatedly called for all work at Amulsar to stop, for a new environmental impact assessment (EIA), for a review of the list of special conservation areas in the Emerald Network, and for the establishment of the Jermuk National Park. According to the Committee's position, this can still be done as long as the mine is not operating.
• Disregarded expert findings. A 2019 independent report by ELARD and TRC, the signatories say, identified dozens of major omissions and miscalculations in the EIA documents, covering water resource modeling, acid drainage calculations, seismic risks and biodiversity assessment. They add that the study and related documents have been removed from official websites.
• Risk of ecological disaster. Experts consider cyanide leaching, the method used for gold extraction, a dangerous chemical process, and in the event of a leak the ecology of the Arpa River would be at risk. The long-term risk of acid rock drainage could threaten the Arpa and Vorotan rivers, Lake Sevan's ecosystem through the Vorotan–Arpa–Sevan tunnel, as well as Jermuk's mineral waters and other groundwater in the region.
• The future of Jermuk resort town. The signatories believe construction and blasting are already degrading the town's ecology, and that once ore reserves are exhausted Jermuk could face the fate of an abandoned settlement, as happened with Dastakert and Sotk.

What the signatories demand

1. Immediately halt mining operations and review the decisions that permitted them, while maintaining the necessary site safety and pollution-prevention measures.
2. Implement the Bern Convention Bureau's recommendations: carry out a new EIA and suspend all subsoil-use permits until it is completed.
3. Justify the list of candidate Emerald Network sites and report on progress toward creating the Jermuk National Park, supporting any boundary changes with scientific arguments only.
4. Publish the measures taken on each significant issue identified by ELARD, TRC and state bodies, and the resulting changes to project documents.
5. Review the USD 150 million budget guarantee issued to Ameriabank to finance the Amulsar operation.
6. Review the country's mining policy, basing future decisions on public participation, a quality EIA process, water security, biodiversity protection and the long-term well-being of communities.

The signatories say they will present the statement and supporting documents to relevant international organizations and partners at COP17 and other international forums, calling for practical steps to prevent possible irreversible environmental damage. The sources present the signatories' positions; no response from the company or state bodies has been published.

Sources: 
https://hetq.am/hy/article/184631