“Armenia Against Corruption.” This project of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association has already been completed; however the fight against corruption is going on. The new project is launched, and in cooperation with the Freedom of Information Center they will fight against the corruption and involve the CSO and media operating in the republic in this struggle. After the seminars organized in marzes, this time the awareness seminar was organized in the capital city. It is the official opening ceremony of the project. Armenia is elaborating a new anti-corruption strategy. RA Deputy Minister of Justice Aram Orbelyan promises that the strategy will be discussed with the representatives of the civil society as soon as it is ready, and as a result we shall have a more practical document.
“The purpose is to avoid having an extensive document of some 100 pages, so that afterwards we shall not know what was realized and what not, or which part was not implemented. The purpose is to plan distinct ant-corruption actions in the document,” RA Deputy Minister of Justice Aram Orbelyan said.
Many countries of the world have joined the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Armenia has joined to it with some reservations; we do not have the mechanisms of control and prevention of illicit enrichment, and it is not criminalized yet. The Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Traian Hristea considers that corruption remains one of the world’s biggest challenges. And Armenia is not an exception.
“European Union has increased the support to civil society in Armenia and we have knowledge its important role both in engaging with the Government, as well as holding it accountable for its deeds,” the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Traian Hristea said.
The fight against corruption is not only the task of the government. The civil society shall be demanding and bring the issue on the agenda. The fight must be unanimous.
“If the civil society shall not raise the issue, be demanding and make the issue an urgent task for the government, we shall hardly be able to go forward and to curb this occurrence,” Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Young Lawyers Association, “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” Project Manger said.
During the upcoming three years it is planned to organize anti-corruption training for the CSOs and media organizations in the framework of project. Further, the CSOs and media organizations that have completed the training will have the opportunity to participate in tenders for small grants to undertake monitoring, watchdog activities and journalistic investigations; create the CSOs’ anti-corruption coalition aimed to establish a dialogue with the government on the establishment of the independent anti-corruption body and on criminalization of the illicit enrichment.
Fight against corruption in gains strength.
Nune Hovsepyan
