On 18 May, Anti-Corruption Workshop “Current Challenges and Future Actions in Fight against Corruption” was held in the scope of the EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project.
Mr. Artak Zeynalyan, the RA Minister of Justice, in his welcome speech said that from now on, the fight against corruption is entering a new, more targeted and decisive stage. He highlighted the creation of legislative and institutional mechanisms.
“The government plans to establish in the nearest future an anti-corruption body with the necessary guarantees and tools, which will be authorized to implement preventive, educational, operative-intelligence and investigative activities. I would like to emphasize that all possible measures will be taken to ensure the complete independence of the body,” the RA Minister of Justice said.
Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO, “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project Manager, Coordinator of the Secretariat of the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia mentioned that fight against corruption has a history of years, and in recent years, as a result of this struggle, a number of legislative provisions have been adopted on the recommendations of the coalition, and as a result a serious tool to combat corruption has been created.
According to Mr. Tevan Poghosyan, Executive Director of the International Centre for Human Development, President of the Governing Board of CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia, currently “the door has been opened” so that the public should realise that corruption is intolerable, whereas the achievement which you attain as a result of your own knowledge and skills is a value which you shall be proud of.”
During the workshop there were speeches and discussions on the need for introduction of the institute on Criminalisation of the Illicit Enrichment; the Whistleblowers’ Institute the Asset Recovery Institute for the purpose of compensation of damages caused as a result of corruption; the need to create an Independent Universal Anti-Corruption Agency; separation of business from politics; as well as institutes for ensuring free economic competition; anti-monopoly; and identification of beneficial owners.
At the beginning of the workshop Karen Zadoyan and Tevan Poghosyan answered the questions of the journalists.
The “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by a Consortium of civil society organisations, which are the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (lead organisation), Agora Central Europe (NGO based in the Czech Republic), the Armenian Centre for Democratic Education-CIVITAS, the International Centre for Human Development, the SME Cooperation Association and the Union of Communities of Armenia.
