On 26 February 2019, the first session of the working group created to edit the draft laws on making changes and additions in the RA Law on Foundations and RA Law on Non-Governmental Organisations took place in the State Revenue Committee (SRC). Group members Syuzanna Soghomonyan, a lawyer and the CSO-Government Dialogue Coordinator of the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project, and lawyer-expert Artyom Mesropyan, also participated in the session.
During the meeting, CSOs’ standpoints on the above-mentioned drafts were discussed, in addition to the matters included in the agenda and pertaining to organising the upcoming work of the group.
One of the most important results of the working group is that the SRC has asked the group participants to present recommendations not only regarding reports, but also other provisions of the laws on foundations and non-governmental organisations.
Thus, within a week non-governmental organisations are to submit to the SRC recommendations aimed at improving the existing regulations of the RA Law on Non-Governmental Organisations, and the SRC is to present additional justifications on the regulations foreseen in its draft laws. The next working group session will be dedicated to the discussion of the above-mentioned recommendations.
Karen Zadoyan, the President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association and the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project Manager, had previously suggested creating a CSO-SRC working group to discuss issues related to the transparency and accountability of NGOs and Foundations, as well as to find the legal solutions to a number of issues existing in the draft laws. The working group comprises 16 members who are representatives of civil society organisations (9 of them), the State Revenue Committee, Central Bank and the Ministry of Justice.
