On 26 October, 2018, the 4th round of the Monitoring Report of Armenia on the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (OECD) Anti-Corruption Network of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been presented in Yerevan.
The report was presented for about three dozen representatives of the state and public sector, including the representatives of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association Suzanne Soghomonyan and Marat Atovmyan, and experts of the Armenian Anti-Corruption Coalition Carl Ulbricht and Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellow Mariam Zadoyan.
The report includes the achievements and challenges of Armenia in the fight against corruption. Particularly, the development of public service and civil service legislation, legislative reforms in the field of ethics and conflict of interest, criminalization of illicit enrichment, the establishment of the Corruption Prevention Committee, the establishment of a whistleblowers’ system, the introduction of the beneficial owners institute in the procurement field. The meeting participants also discussed the implementation of recommendations assigned to Armenia as well as the new recommendations given to Armenia by the OECD Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan.
Ms Mariam Zadoyan, the Project Manager of the Armenian Lawyer’s Association (ALA) component of the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” Project raised the issue of criminal liability for legal entities. In response to this question, it was noted that the Ministry of Justice of Armenia attaches importance to the introduction of the institute in Armenia and the New Draft Criminal Code will be put on the political agenda again.
This material has been prepared in the scope of the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” Project implemented by the “Center for International Private Enterprise”, the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO, the “Corporate Governance Center” NGO and the “Yerevan Chamber of Commerce and Industry” with financial support of the National Endowment for Democracy. The project is implemented as a co-financing to the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” action implemented with the financial support of the European Union by a Consortium comprising the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO, the “Armenian Center for Democratic Education-CIVITAS” NGO, the “International Center for Human Development” NGO, the “SME Cooperation Association” NGO, the Union of Communities of Armenia, as well as “Agora Central Europe” NGO (Czech Republic). The contents of this material are the sole responsibility of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the National Endowment for Democracy and the European Union.