The “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” project was launched in Armenia on 1 October, 2019, and is implemented by The “Center for International Private Enterprise” (CIPE), the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO (ALA), the “Corporate Governance Center” (CGC), and the “Yerevan Chamber of Commerce and Industry” (YerCCI).
The objective of the project is to fight corruption in the business sector, disseminate corporate governance and ethics rules and values in Armenia, and introduce anti-corruption compliance programs in SMEs.
In the frameworks of the project, 18 members of the CSO’s Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia have already adopted an Integrity declaration on implementation of business ethics and compliance initiative in Armenia.
The text of the declartion is the following:
DECLARATION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE INITIATIVE IN ARMENIA BY THE MEMBERS OF THE CSO’s ANTI-CORRUPTION COALITION OF ARMENIA
We, being the members of the largest anti-corruption coalition in Armenia, as representatives of civil society in Armenia, recognize that integrity, transparency, ethics, honesty, accountability, anticorruption values are the ways by which we can fight against corruption so that everyone has fair and equal opportunities.
By supporting the future actions, we declare our willingness and intention to:
1) support and participate in anti-corruption reforms’ implementation in the country;
2) promote the effectiveness of the assessment and control of anti-corruption reforms in the country;
3) promote the formation of a sustainable, consistent and accountable constructive dialogue between CSOs in the country;
4) promote the level of anti-corruption values’ awareness in the society, including business organizations, assist to the protection of the rights of citizens who have been victims of corruption crimes,
5) reinforce and disseminate to the public, including within the business sector, the importance of anti-corruption compliance programs, anti-corruption values, integrity and ethics, ensuring that they are properly implemented in practice;
6) develop the capacity of our employees involved in monitoring process, public assessment and anti-corruption activities;
7) prohibit our employees, partners and their employees from being engaged in corrupt, fraudulent and dishonest activities with private and public officials and organizations;
8) contribute to the introduction of the Beneficial Ownership in the Republic of Armenia on the basis of successful international experience, bysupporting to the implementation of the Register of Beneficial Owners, as well as by publishing the necessary and required information under the law on our owners;
9) gain reputation through ethics, competence and high quality;
10) support a nationwide initiative aimed at creating fair market conditions by promoting the transparency of business transactions and ensuring good corporate governance in Armenia.
The list of businesses that already has adopted the Declaration Statement is the following:
1.”Armavir Development Center” NGO
2. “Armenian Association of the Small and Medium Enterprises Accountants” NGO, Coalition board member,
3. “Armenian Association of Young Doctors” NGO, Coalition board member,
4. Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO, Coalition board member,
5. “Armenian UN Association” NGO,
6. “Armenian Young Lawyers’ Association” NGO,
7. “Audio-Visual” NGO, Coalition board member,
8. “For community development “Azhdahak” NGO,
9. “Center of Economic Right” NGO, Coalition board member,
10. “International Center for Human Development” NGO, Coalition board member,
11. “Journalists for Human Rights” NGO, Coalition board member,
12. “Local Democracy Development and Research Center” NGO,
13. “Regional Development and Research Center” NGO, Coalition board member,
14. “SME Cooperation Association” NGO,
15. “The Law Foundation of Armenia”,
16. “Union of Communities of Armenia” NGO, Coalition board member,
17. “Community Initiatives and Advocacy Center” NGO,
18. Foundation for Small and Medium Businesses, Coalition board member.
Currently “For Sustainable Development Initiatives “Astghatsolk” NGO, Coalition board member, is in the process of adopting the declaration.
The above-mentioned CSO’s welcome the willingness of the Coalition’s other members to join.