The 2020-2022 police reform strategy was a cornerstone in terms of putting police reforms on an institutional foundation. This was noted by Natali Sahakyan, Head of the Strategic Planning, Policy Development and Monitoring Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in an interview with Iravaban.net.
According to her, it is particularly important that the new police reform strategy for 2024-2026 was developed based on lessons learned from the aforementioned document. Although the previous strategy coincided with a number of problems and obstacles related to the time period, it nevertheless registered great successes in several directions, according to Sahakyan.
“The creation and implementation of the Patrol Service and Operational Management Centers throughout the republic, as well as the establishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, were of cornerstone significance. The latter became part of the executive body that exercises civilian oversight and bears political responsibility characteristic of a democratic society.
The clear distribution of functions for policy development and implementation in the field of police activities was very important,” noted Natali Sahakyan.
During the development of the new strategy, observations and proposals presented by state bodies were taken into account, as well as the international obligations assumed by the Republic of Armenia.
“The new strategy has been formed in a fairly comprehensive and, I’m not afraid to say, unprecedented format. The discussions have been quite inclusive: a number of focus group discussions have been organized with the participation of representatives from more than two dozen non-governmental organizations, whose suggestions and observations have also been taken into account,” said Sahakyan.
The Ministry official emphasized that the primary directions of the new strategy are considered to be the final establishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the completion of the structure and functionality of the police, as well as ensuring the continuity of already launched reforms.
The sub-grant “Public Oversight and Awareness of Effective and Inclusive Police Reforms” is implemented by the Armenian Lawyers Association within the framework of the “Monitoring of Justice Sector Reforms in Armenia” program funded by the European Union, under the grant announced by the “Social Justice” NGO.
The aim of the program is to increase civil society participation in monitoring police reforms and impact assessment, ensuring structural engagement mechanisms, independent evaluation, and raising public awareness.
This article has been prepared with the financial support of the European Union. The Armenian Lawyers Association non-governmental organization is responsible for the content, and it doesn’t necessarily express the views of the European Union.
