OREANDA-NEWS. November 21, 2014. The Russian National Committee for UNEP (UNEPCOM) endorsed the initiative of Rosneft and the Russian Geographical Society to elaborate interdisciplinary scientific program for comprehensive Arctic research.

This program will help to set out the principles of special economic activity regulations in the region, including clear ecological rules of shelf development.

First this initiative was announced during the roundtable called "The scientific exploration of the Arctic" on July 21, 2014, held at the Arctic Research and Design center Centre. Leading experts studying the polar areas take part in creating the program. Those scientists made significant contributions to the development of such sciences as oceanography, geology, glaciology, ecology, biology of the seas, climatology and meteorology. Scientists will set priorities in the Arctic research and will develop international scientific cooperation.

Notes for Editors:
The Russian National Committee for UNEP (UNEPCOM) was established in 1994 as a joint initiative of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), of the number of the Russian Federation state organizations, including the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as scientific and business community of the country.

The main purpose of UNEPCOM is to bring together scientific, business and civil society to address the problems of the environment and to promote sustainable development of Russia.

In 2011, Rosneft joined the Russian National Committee for UNEP. "UNEPCOM" conducts public ecological expertise of Rosneft projects and organizes pre-econology studies, considering the natural perils and risks. In addition, UNEPCOM works out recommendations for a remote monitoring systems, for large marine animals security in Rosneft projects on the Russian Arctic shelf and for the medical and environmental problems solving caused by the work in harsh environments.

Academician Laverov Nikolai Pavlovich, a member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Interdepartmental commission on environmental safety of the Russian Security Council is the president of UNEPCOM. The UNEPCOM council consists of prominent Russian scientists and experts in the field of environmental protection, environmental services of large industrial companies and representatives of environmental NGOs.