On the initiative of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, today, on 10 February, focus group discussions were held on action 2 arising from the Implementation Action Plan of the Anti-Corruption Strategy of the Republic of Armenia for 2019-2022.

The first of the discussions was held with participation of the representatives of the Commission for Prevention of Corruption, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Investigative Committee, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Finance, the State Commission for the Protection of the Economic Competition, the Central Electoral Commission, the State Register of Legal Entities, Civil Service Bureau of the Staff of the Prime Minister, EKENG, and the Armenian Lawyers’ Association.

The second discussion was held with CSOs, advocacy and legal community representatives.

It should be noted that according to the Strategy, the anti-corruption measure envisages several actions (actions 7 to 31), which are:

7․ Identifying corruption risks in local self-government bodies with a population of 15,000 and more, developing and implementing plans.

8,․ Developing and implementing action plans for anti-corruption, including for internal integrity in state bodies on the results of risk assessment.

9․ Formation of mechanisms for carrying out oversight over observance of the rules of integrity of persons subject to appointment to state positions, those of judges and judge candidates, prosecutors and candidates for prosecutors, and investigators;

10․ Assessment of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the “Law on Public Service” and “Law on Civil Service”.

11․ Formation and launch of the institute of Ethics Commissions and Integrity Affairs Organizers in compliance with the “Law on Public Service”

12․ Improvement of the remuneration system for persons holding state positions and public service positions.

13․ Prescribing model rules of conduct of public servants, rules of conduct of civil servants provided for by the “Law on Public Service”.

14․ Prescribing rules of conduct of the deputy and investigator.

15․ Ensuring a merit-based system in the sector of civil service.

16․ Increasing the effectiveness of the system of impact assessment of anti-corruption regulation.

17. Improving the system of declaration of property, incomes and interests. Introduction of a system of declaration of expenses.

18. Clarification of incompatibility requirements of persons holding public positions and of public servants.

19․ Improving of the institute of gifts related to the exercise of official duties of persons holding public positions and public servants; establishment of a register of gifts.

20․ Providing for legislative regulation of lobbying; ensuring transparency of funding of political parties and the mass media.

21․ Clarification of the legal status of organizations of public significance and introduction of a toolkit for reduction of corruption risks therein, including the identification of the existing corruption risks and introduction of mechanisms for overcoming them.

22. Promoting the adoption of anti-corruption compliance requirements in the business sector.

23․ Improvement of the field of procurement.

24․ Introduction of the institute of real owners of legal persons.

25. Improving of legislation on the field of protection of economic competition.

26․ Introduction of a unified platform for the hotline of applications, complaints, requests of citizens.

27. Increasing the effectiveness of ensuring public participation in the process of elaborating legal acts.

28․ Introduction of a toolkit for receiving accessible information on the services being provided by state and local self-government bodies to the citizens the most, including elaboration of sample forms of filling applications.

29. Modernizing the “www.sso.am” electronic system of operators and introducing the “e-gov.am” electronic platform on the basis of the mentioned system.

30․ Establishment of a unified platform for proactive publication of information required within the scope of the “RA Law on Freedom of Information”.

31․ Continuous improvement of the system of whistle-blowing.

It should be added that two discussions on action 1 of the Anti-Corruption Strategy, the development of the anti-corruption institutional system, and the actions arising from it, were discussed yesterday, on 9 February.

A total of 12 similar discussions have already been held on the Judicial and Legal Reform Strategy as well.