Performance of International Anti-Corruption Commitments leads to improving the state policy, creation of new mechanisms, regulation of legislation, which makes efficient and facilitates the fight against corruption.

The President of the “Armenian Young Lawyers Association” NGO, “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” Project Manager Mr. Karen Zadoyan emphasized this at the anti-corruption event on the topic of “The Implementation Process of the RA Government`s International Commitments in the Anti-Corruption Context,” which took place in Kapan on 6 October.

According to him, corruption has two layers; the first is the administrative level, in other words petty corruption, which relates to a wide range of public. The second is the political corruption, which is on a high level in Armenia as well as worldwide. “It is connected with elites, in many cases; we the ordinary citizens cannot even notice it. But it is the corruption that is undermining the country’s economy and the security system. To combat the corruption effectively, we need t have a very high political will and a demanding civil society which fights for its rights,” Mr. Zadoyan said. “We, as a civil society organization, as well as the Anti-Corruption Coalition are trying to take over this role. How we manage it, is another matter. There are objective and subjective circumstances, but we are able to raise issues and discuss with the decision-makers, and why not also influence on those decisions.”

Ms Ani Asryan, Regional Coordinator/Expert of “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” project, introduced information on the project and spoke about the activities of the Anti-Corruption Coalition in Syunik marz.

Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Justice Ms Mariam Galstyan, the Secretary of the Anti-Corruption working group presented the report on the implementation of international anti-corruption commitments of the RA Government.

“Quite a lot of work has been carried out in the Anti-Corruption sphere during the past year. The results are not so tangible yet, but they are visible. One of the most effective steps is that civil society has become very active in the activities aimed at fighting corruption,” she said.

“Armenia’s obligations are not only towards the international organizations,” started his speech Carl Ulbricht, the International Expert of “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” project. “The main duty of the government is towards its own citizens. The government must show that international obligations are not only to present to the international organizations, but rather to improve the lives of its citizens,” said the speaker.

Mr. Marat Atovmyan, the Local Expert of “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” project, spoke about the realization of anti-corruption public control over the implementation of the anti-corruption obligations of the RA Government.

Mr. Gevorg Tosunyan, the journalist of Iravaban.net independent professional website spoke about the data investigation in the area of implementation of the anti-corruption obligations of the RA Government.

During the meeting and the following it discussion the participants asked numerous questions to the speakers.

Later, in the conversation with us, Mr. Hrayr Khachatryan, representative of the “Mission Armenia” Charitable Non Governmental Organization, Responsible for the Environmental sphere of the youth Council at Kapan Mayor’s Office noted that the civil society in the city was not united in the fight against corruption. The participant of the seminar explains this situation in the regional center with the circumstance of conflict of interests. “Some NGOs receive their funding from different organizations, some from government agencies, while others from the mining companies. Naturally, in this case NGOs cannot not perform due monitoring,” he said.

According to another participant the government agencies in Kapan do not take into account the citizens’ position. “This is especially evident in the anti-corruption struggle. Public discussions are not conducted here,” our interlocutor said.

Notably the Anti-Corruption Coalition conducts activities in Syunik marz as well and the platform is open for all NGOs that fight against corruption.

The event was organized by the “Armenian Young Lawyers Association” NGO and its partner “Freedom of Information Center of Armenia” NGO in the framework of the “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” project co-funded by the EU and the OSCE Yerevan Office.

Iravaban.net