2017 | ARMENIAN LAWYERS' ASSOCIATION

Address of the President of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO

Dear Friends, Partners and Supporters,

With great love, pride and responsibility, I present to you the 2017 annual report (hereinafter referred to as the report) of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGOs activities, where the summaries of the activities of our organization and the financial results of finished and ongoing projects are presented. It is very important for us to adhere to the principles of good faith of the structure before our beneficiaries, members, partners and donor organizations, therefore we publish a report for each year.
2017, from the point of view of projects, was a sated and ample year. Throughout 2017, the ALA continued to implement the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project, in the framework of which it cooperated with RA State Bodies, had meetings with the competent bodies of 9 target spheres defined by the program, participated in the process of designing, processing and publicly monitoring a number of RA strategy documents and in public oversight. The ALA continued to implement the GIZ funded “Evidence-based Advocacy for Reform” project.

Due to its high reliability, Iravaban.net, an independent professional news website founded by the ALA, has become an even more popular platform in the public and professional audiences for discussing public affairs and legal issues.
I should especially mention that all the achievements and the implementation of the ideas of the ALA are only possible thanks to the direct participation of the ALA’s close-knit team, its members and staff, volunteers and stakeholders in Yerevan and in the regions, partners and donors, to whom I want to express my deepest gratitude. I assure all of you that our joint work is appreciated and leads to desired results, which inspires us to continue working and creating with great enthusiasm.

Best regards,

Karen Zadoyan, Lawyer

President of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO

INTRODUCTION

The ALA was founded in 1995 in Yerevan, during its activities it enjoys the public’s trust, it is an established structure in the field of law and civil society in the RA. Having a clear mission, vision, strategic action plan and values, the ALA successfully implements the tasks set before it and provides solutions to them.
One of the main activities of the ALA is the protection of human rights, including the protection of socially vulnerable groups and women’s rights, and raising the level of legal awareness, fighting corruption in Armenia, supporting justice and other targeted reforms, educating lawyers and promoting civil society.
In a short period of time, the ALA established business relations with a number of state, private and international organizations, implemented various projects aimed at implementing the main directions of the organization. It is noteworthy that only a few years after its establishment, the services of the structure were available in almost the entire territory of the RA due to the offices operating in the provinces of Armenia. The ALA currently has 5 branches: in Yerevan, and the provinces of Shirak, Lori, Gegharkunik and Syunik.
Since 2010 the ALA also operates the National Network of Anti-Corruption Centers (hereinafter referred to as the Network). In 2013 the USAID decided to prematurely end the “Armenia against Corruption” project, as a result of which, on 1 February, 2014, the Network was consolidated and anti-corruption centers started operating on social grounds. These are currently located in Yerevan and the provinces of Shirak, Lori, Gegharkunik and Syunik.
The ALA updates its legal library every year, the services of which are used by the lawyers of Yerevan and the provinces as well as other interested people. The ALA operates a trilingual official website: https://armla.am/, and the official website of the Network is: www.aac.am.
In 2017 the independent professional news website www.iravaban.net has been operated with high access rates in Armenian and English, it has more than 140.000 followers on the social media website “Facebook.”

ALA MISSION, VALUES AND TEAM
- The Mission of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association is to develop a new generation of highly professional lawyers, having a modern outlook and moral values, as well as to promote the establishment of the rule of law and formation of legal culture in the society.
- The values of the organization are:

Modern legal culture rooted in the heritage of universal and Armenian centuries-old values,
A law-abiding, educated society, which is aware of its rights,
Protected human rights,
Lawyers with high professional knowledge and moral values,
A strong civil society.
- ALA Team.

The key to ALA’s success is its team. Professional specialists, who regularly improve their knowledge both in Armenia and abroad, make an invaluable contribution to the development and establishment of the structure, coming up with new initiatives and innovative ideas. The ALA regularly organizes events aimed at raising the professional qualities of its members, developing related skills, as well as a number of cultural events. The ALA team attaches great importance to the ideology and values of the structure and is always guided by them during its activities.

COOPERATION
- The ALA is constantly striving to expand the circle of its supporters and partners, while continuing close cooperation with its longtime partners. This year, the organization has implemented various anti-corruption and professional measures, acquiring new partners, including various non-governmental and international organizations, state bodies and business structures.
- Cooperation with the EU.

The EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project, which was launched on the 16^th December, 2016 with a duration period of 3 years continued at a new pace in 2017. The project was implemented by the ALA (leading organization) in cooperation with the following partners: “Agora Central Europe” NGO (Czech Republic), Armenian Center for Democratic Education (CIVITAS), International Center for Human Development, SME Cooperation Association and the Union of Armenian Communities. The main goal of the project was to strengthen the influence of CSOs and CSO coalitions on the development of public policies in 9 target areas, and the specific objectives were to strengthen the ability of CSOs to build coalitions, their participation in public policy-making processes, identification of problems in the target areas and the development of appropriate policies and to focus on constructive and strategic policy engagement with local and central government partners.
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Armenian National Platform (EaP CSF) conference took place on 28 November 2017 within the framework of EU funding.
- Cooperation with the German Corporation for International Development (GIZ). Within the framework of GIZ cooperation, the GIZ funded “Evidence-based Advocacy for Reform” project, which was implemented by the Consortium of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE), Armenian Lawyers’ Association (ALA) and European Business Association (EBA), was important.
- Cooperation with “Agora Central Europe” NGO. The ALA exchanged experience with the organization within the EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project. In particular, the best international practices were identified, research was conducted, and joint CSO capacity building trainings were conducted, which greatly contributed to the establishment of incubators. On 2 August, 2017, ALA President Karen Zadoyan met with the president of “Agora Central Europe” NGO Ivana Bursikova at their office in Prague.
- Cooperation with the International Anti-Corruption Academy. In the period from 2 to 4 October 2017, Miss Mariam Zadoyan, the Anti-Corruption Expert of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, participated in the Anti-Corruption Tailor-Made Training for representatives of the Eurasian Economic Union Member States at the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), Laxenburg, Austria.
- Cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Coalition. The Secretariat of the coalition is coordinated by the ALA. During 2017, the Coalition cooperated with the Anti-Corruption Council, both by participating in the meetings in a conscientious manner and by presenting valuable proposals on the agenda. The third conference of the Coalition took place on 21 July, 2017, during which the main steps of the Coalition were emphasized once again, those are: criminalization of illicit enrichment, the creation of an independent anti-corruption body, protection of the whistleblowers’ rights, introduction of the institute of beneficial owners, the re-launch of anti-corruption centers against administrative corruption, and the reduction of corruption risks in the business sector.
- Cooperation with the RA National Assembly. On 1 December, 2017, during the parliamentary hearings jointly organized by the RA NA Standing Committees on Foreign Relations and European Integration on the “Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement”, the ALA President Karen Zadoyan presented the EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project, and also stressed the need to develop an effective and constructive cooperation with state bodies through CSOs’ capacity building.
- Cooperation with the RA Ministry of Justice. This year also, the joint work of the ALA-Ministry of Justice was extensive, both in terms of legislative initiatives and organizing working meetings, but also in the development and improvement of strategic documents. In particular, regarding the legislative problems in the RA Law on “Non-Governmental Organizations” and the complications caused in the legal practice; also ALA presented recommendations to the Ministry of Justice on the draft decisions of the RA Government on “Approval of the Technical Description and Procedure for the Maintenance of the Unified Electronic Platform” and on “establishing a sample form of record registration and formulation in case of internal or external notification, as well as on the procedure for implementing protection mechanisms for whistleblowers.” Afterwards, thematic meetings were organized, during which the Ministry of Justice, through its representatives, assured that the drafting of legislative projects also took into account the ALA’s proposals.
- Cooperation with the RA Prosecutor’s Office. On 9 December, 2017, the International Anti-Corruption Day, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the RA General Prosecutor’s Office and the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia, the official signing ceremony of the Memorandum took place. According to the Memorandum, the cooperation is carried out in the following main directions: Ensuring the fight against corruption and reduction of corruption risks, increasing the effectiveness of the fight against corruption in the Republic of Armenia, developing cooperation between law enforcement agencies and civil society organizations in the field of anti-corruption, raising the level of awareness of the citizens about the need to fight corruption, raising awareness about the means of this fight and the work done by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Coalition in the field of anti-corruption, and presenting their results, ensuring the protection of the interests and rights of individuals and legal entities in the fight against corruption, presenting proposals for relevant reforms in the legislation containing corruption risks, etc.
- Cooperation with the State Revenue Committee.
The Coalition and the ALA jointly submitted an anti-corruption action plan to the SRC, and a majority of the proposals were adopted by the SRC. Armen Sakapetoyan, Deputy Chairman of the RA State Revenue Committee was also present on the International Anti-Corruption Day, noting that a number of programs have been implemented over the past year and a half, as a result of which corruption cases have significantly decreased. The proposals referred to improving the knowledge and skills of tax and customs officials in the field of anti-corruption and conscientiousness, the possibility of digitalization of the process of introduction of tax documents, as well as the introduction of an automated system for the creation and submission of reports based on them, the submission of an expert examination request in the case of some controlled goods, etc.
On 10 October, 2017, the RA SRC Deputy Chairman Vakhtang Mirumyan chaired the first working meeting in SRC – CSO format. The participants raised issues regarding the profit tax and VAT payment regulations for NGOs, the nature of the services provided by them, as well as the issues of carrying out direct business activities by NGOs.
- Cooperation with the State Probation Service of the RA Ministry of Justice.
In 2017, regarding “State Probation Service. Expectations and Prospects for Cooperation”, workshops were organized in the ALA offices in Kapan, Goris and Gyumri. The purpose of the workshops was to present and discuss the newly established State Probation Service, its functions, and to promote the consolidation of interested state institutions and non-governmental organizations, for the purpose of establishing successful cooperation with the service, to create a platform that will allow non-governmental organizations to establish contacts with the State Probation Service, to support the implementation of its functions, to develop and implement various programs based on the functions of the Service.
On 3 December, 2017, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that work in the field of probation signed a Declaration of Cooperation, thus establishing the “Support for Probation” National Network. The objective of the network is to promote the development of the probation institute in Armenia using CSOs’ potential. The “Support for Probation” National Network was created on the initiative of the “Civil Society Institute” NGO in close cooperation with the State Probation Service of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO.
- Cooperation with the “National Center for Legislative Regulation” Foundation. On 16 October, 2017, a discussion of the RA Draft Law on Voluntary Activities and Voluntary Work and the Draft legislative package on Making Amendments to a Number of Draft Laws issuing from it took place with ALA representatives at the office of the “National Center for Legislative Regulation” Foundation.
- Cooperation with the “Armenian Association of Young Lawyers.” On 14 December, 2017, the ALA and “Armenian Association of Young Doctors” signed a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening the mechanisms of legal protection of medical workers. Prior to signing the agreement at the workshop for the stakeholders, the introduction of the Institute of Medical Ombudsman and the differentiation of the terms “medical error and medical negligence” as well as the international experience related to these issues were spoken about.
- Cooperation with the “Communities Association of Armenia.” On November 10, 2017, the ALA and the “Union of Communities of Armenia” signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at preventing the violation of the interests and rights of the population and ensuring the participation of the residents in the decision-making process of local self-government bodies, the development of transparent and accountable working styles in local self-government bodies. The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation took into account the role of the ALA in the human rights and anti-corruption spheres as a specialized organization, and the role of the “Union of Communities of Armenia” in increasing the efficiency of local self-government bodies.
- Cooperation with the Civil Society Institute (CSI). On 6 June, 2017, a new memorandum of cooperation was signed between the ALA and CSI to combine the efforts of the two organizations in protecting human rights, and solving the problems of the probation system and anti-corruption activities.
- Cooperation with the “NGO Center.” On 30 March, 2017, the presidents of the ALA and “NGO Center” signed a memorandum. This new agreement formed a culture where two structures that had been carrying out the same mission for 20 years started cooperating.
- Cooperation with the “Partnership and Teaching” NGO. On 30 March, 2017, a memorandum was signed with the “Partnership and Teaching” NGO.
- Cooperation with the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). On 13 October, 2017, with the participation of AGBU “Bridge for CSOs” project manager Arsen Stepanyan, a meeting on the new RA Law on “NGOs” was held. The discussion was mainly aimed at raising the problematic provisions that issued from the law and jointly discuss the steps to be taken to address the those issues, as well as to continue awareness raising campaigns among partner NGOs.
- Cooperation with the “Yelk” faction. On 5 July, 2017, a meeting was held with representatives of the “Yelk” faction. Deputies Nikol Pashinyan, Artak Zeynalyan, Gevorg Gorgisyan and Mane Tandilyan attended the meeting. The parties discussed the Law on Prevention of Corruption and Corruption Prevention Body and adjacent legal acts.

ALA PROJECTS AND IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES
- Fight against Corruption.

The ALA together with the Coalition discussed the issue of the possibility of granting one body the authority to investigate corruption crimes and the subordination of bodies investigating corruption crimes provided in the Government’s 2017-2022 Program. The expediency of participation of the Armenian CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition in the Working Group to study this issue was discussed as well.
The ALA and the Coalition have submitted a number of reform proposals to the Anti-Corruption Council, some of which have been adopted by independent experts from the expert group attached to the Council. Once approved by the Council, the recommendations will be included in the 2015-2018 Anti-Corruption Strategy Action Plan.
Throughout the year, anti-corruption and integrity retraining courses were held with groups comprised of 15 public, community and civil servants working in the provinces of Lori, Syunik, Gegharkunik and Shirak. The ALA President Karen Zadoyan and Expert-Lawyer Marat Atovmyan introduced the main principles of Integrity and the main conditions for Success, successful international experience, in the fight against corruption to Public Servants.
The “East Invest 2” annual conference was held on 21 June, in Kyiv. About 120 representatives from six Eastern Partnership countries and a number of European Union countries participated in the event. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, presented the anti-corruption reforms undertaken by the ALA and the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenian, as well as by the Government of Armenia, specifically: the criminalization of illicit enrichment; the creation of an independent anti-corruption body; and introduction of the institute for the protection of whistleblowers’ rights in Armenia.
On 18 – 22 December, 2017, Miss Susanna Soghomonyan, Member of Board of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, participated in the study visit to London organized for Anti-Corruption Champions. The study visit organized by the International Governance and Risk Institute of the UK aimed at presenting the best anti-corruption experience of the UK anti-corruption fight implemented by the anti-corruption bodies of the British Government and non-governmental organizations, and to promote the capacity building of the Commission on Ethics of High-Ranking Officials of Armenia based on this practice.
- The implementation of the EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project (hereinafter referred to as the Project[1].)
Training courses were organized for NGO representatives in Yerevan and the provinces of Shirak, Syunik, Lori, Tavush and Gegharkunik on the development and strengthening of their capacities and on the changes provided by the new NGO Law, and free legal advice was provided throughout the year to review CSO regulations and bring them into line with the new law. Recommendations were given on tax regulations related to the business activities of NGOs, the institute of volunteering, violation of labor rights, auditing and other changes made within the framework of the new law. It should be noted that training courses were also organized for NGOs dealing with the rights of persons with disabilities.
During the year, regular focus groups were formed in Yerevan and the regions, which were organized in the target areas defined within the framework of the Project, these areas are ecology, energy, transport, territorial administration, local government, business, etc.
On 8 September, 2017, the rules of the game, the problems encountered in the new law and ways to avoid them were introduced to more than 10 NGO representatives. For example, there are risks related with the involvement of direct entrepreneurial activities. The NGO representatives were informed that income from direct entrepreneurial activities should be directed to implementation of the NGO’s statutory objectives and are not subject to distribution among the members and managerial staff.
On 29 September, 2017, the round-table discussion on the “Role of Civil Society Organizations in Public Policy Making” took place. During the meeting ALA President Karen Zadoyan mentioned that “Today, we already have the illegal enrichment criminalized and in 2018, the Corruption Prevention Committee will start its activity. And after the April war, when the demand for real anti-corruption was seriously laid by the public, The Armenian Lawyers’ Association and the CSOs Anti-Corruption of Armenian, created within the framework of the above-mentioned project introduced to the RA Government a road map for the fight against corruption, consisting of 6 points. At present, only the re-opening of the anti-corruption centers and the implementation of the Institute of beneficiary owners in the field of free economic competition (it was introduced only in the field of public procurement) have not been implemented from these 6 targets. Having a professional expert team is the main basis of the success story. The existence of such a team not only allows criticizing, but in addition to offer solutions and to provide serious support to the state in carrying out real reforms.”
On 10 October, 2017, within the framework of the Project, Pavel Mička conducted a course on “CSOs are Schools of Democracy.”
On 10 October, 2017, Marat Atovmyan, Program Incubator Coordinator, presented the risks envisaged by the RA Law on “Non-Governmental Organizations” during the training for 10 CSO representatives. In particular, the requirement of the new law is the compliance of the charters of the organizations with the new legislation and registration in the State Register of Legal Entities. On the same day Peter Guštafík conducted a course on “Confidence Building Steps” for NGOs.
On 11 October, 2017, Pavel Mička, co-founder of “Agora Central Europe” NGO, held a seminar on monitoring public policies for CSOs.
On 19 October, 2017, Pavel Mička, co-founder of “Agora Central Europe” NGO, launched a three-day training course in Yerevan, during which he presented the factors contributing to the development and implementation of programs arising from the need of society.
On 23 October, 2017, the 5-day training for mentors and regional incubators’ coordinators “Cooperation of Non-Profit Non-Governmental Organizations and the Government in the Czech Republic and the Republic of Poland” started in Aghveran. The participants discussed a number of issues related to the state of NGOs, their needs, the current situation and issues in the sector, possible forms of cooperation between public administration and non-governmental organizations and a number of other issues.
On 24 and 26 October, 2017, the “Agora Central Europe” NGO representatives Monika Chrzczonowicz and Ivana Buršíková held lectures respectively on the NGO capacity development.
On 27 October, 2017, a seminar was held in Yerevan on the exchange of Czech experience in the activities of NGOs in the fields of education, environment and social affairs. Not only is the role of CSOs of great importance, but also their coalitions and networks in the development of public policy, in particular, the role of the Child Protection Network in terms of participating in the development of public policy.
On 30 October, 2017, a training course for CSOs was held in Yerevan, which aimed to introduce them to the procedure for establishing employee-employer relationships with volunteers.
On 2 November, 2017, the 5-day training for mentors and regional incubators’ coordinators “Cooperation of Non-Profit Non-Governmental Organizations and the Government in the Czech Republic and the Republic of Poland” took place in Aghveran. The aim of the training was to strengthen the capacity of CSOs participating in the incubators created in the four regions and in Yerevan. The main aims were in 4 spheres: development and implementation of public policies, public monitoring, including the monitoring of public budgets and policies, construction and development of coalitions, construction of a stable and constructive dialogue between the government and CSOs.
On 16 November, 2017, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association Karen Zadoyan participated in the regular sitting of the Public Council under the Minister of Justice, headed by the RA Justice Minister. During the meeting recommendations were presented on the Draft Decisions of the RA Government on “Approval of the Technical Description and Procedure for the Maintenance of the Unified Electronic Platform” and “On establishing a sample form of record registration and formulation in case of internal or external notification, as well as on the procedure for implementing protection mechanisms for whistleblowers.”
On 20 November, 2017, a training course on all the innovations that were mandatory for CSOs when making changes in their charters within the framework of the RA Law on “Non-Governmental Organizations” took place. Further, the ALA undertook an initiative to provide free legal advice to CSOs within the framework of the RA Law on “Non-Governmental Organizations”, as well as to assist CSOs in the process of registration and/or re-registration, ensuring the availability of all necessary documents required by domestic law.
On 22 November, 2017, another meeting was held in Yerevan dedicated to the provisions of the RA Law on “Non-Governmental Organizations.” At the end of the discussion, the participants decided to apply to the Government of the Republic of Armenia with a common position on the problematic provisions of the draft and the proposals aimed at their solution.
On 24 November, 2017, in the city of Chambarak, a discussion-training was held on the new RA Law on Non-Governmental Organizations, in particular, on two major innovations: the introduction of the Institute of Volunteers and the right to engage in entrepreneurship were presented to the representatives of 12 non-governmental organizations in Chambarak.
On 27 November, 2017, a training-discussion took place, during which reference was made to the regulations on the entrepreneurial activities of CSOs, the fact of fixing them in the charters of NGOs, the introduction of a voluntary institute, etc.
On 1 December, 2017, a course on the new law on “Non-Governmental Organizations” took place, during which, Marat Atovmyan, Program Incubator Coordinator, presented the innovations provided by the new law. Atovmyan also detailed the peculiarities of the amendments to the charters to representatives of 6 non-governmental organizations participating in the training.
On 6 December, 2017, ALA President Karen Zadoyan took part in the sitting of the RA Anti-Corruption Council, where he presented the “Anti-Corruption Monitoring Platform” website, the drafts of the by-laws “On the Whistleblowers’ System” and other agenda issues. During the meeting, he stressed the importance of creating additional guarantees for the implementation of the whistleblowers’ system and the need for by-laws aimed at them, at the same time noting that due to hacker attacks and in order to ensure the security and anonymity of whistleblowers, it is necessary to develop the electronic whistleblowers’ platform in such a way that after two months the information about the whistleblower is automatically deleted from the system.
On 9 December, 2017, within the framework of the project, the International Anti-Corruption Day was celebrated. The RA Prosecutor General, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance, the Head of the Cooperation Section of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, Hoa-Binh Adjemian, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Armenia Petr Mikyska, representatives of state and civil society organizations were present at the award ceremony.
On the same day, on 9 December, an event was held, during which the programs and proposals on 4 target areas (education, healthcare, state revenue collection and police) of the RA Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2015-2018 were discussed. During the event, the corruption risks in the police sector were also addressed, in particular, the police sector was chosen as a target not because the level of corruption here is higher than in other sectors, but due to the fact that the police have daily contacts with citizens.
On 12 December, 2017, representatives of the consortium implementing the EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project provided legal, tax and business counseling on social entrepreneurship to CSO representatives. The workshop on Social Entrepreneurship was organized within the framework of the EU-funded “STRONG CSOs for a Stronger Armenia” project.
From 4 to 8 December, 2017, 15 CSO representatives (1st group, provinces of Tavush, Shirak, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik, Lori), 11-15 December, 15 CSO representatives (2^nd group, Yerevan and the provinces of Shirak, Syunik, Gegharkunik, Lori, Tavush), 18-22 December, 14 CSO representatives (3^rd group, Yerevan and the provinces of Shirak, Syunik, Gegharkunik, Lori, Tavush), 25-29 December, 15 CSO representatives (4^th group, Yerevan and the provinces of Shirak, Lori), received Certificates on Completion of a New CSO Capacity Building Certification Programme at the American University of Armenia.
On 17 December, 2017, within the framework of the Project, the New Year Charity Fair was organized at the Artists’ Union Hall, during which the following projects were presented: “First Inclusive and Barrier-Free Bakery and Coffee Shop in Gyumri”, implemented by “Armenian Caritas” Benevolent NGO with financial support of its partner Caritas Austria; “Bridge for CSOs” Project implemented by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU); “STRONG CSOs for Stronger Armenia” Project; and “Restoring living conditions in Armenia” Project implemented by Habitat for Humanity Armenia.
From May to December 2017, within the framework of the Project,
174 NGOs applied for consultations, 264 NGOs were provided with consultations, 33 CSOs were re-registered, 8 new NGOs were registered, 37 charters were developed in Yerevan,
60 NGOs applied for consultations, 128 NGOs were provided with consultations, 19 CSOs were re-registered, 10 new NGOs were registered, 1 charter were developed in Gyumri,
31 NGOs applied for consultations, 78 NGOs were provided with consultations, 15 CSOs were re-registered, Kapan,
107 NGOs applied for consultations, 158 NGOs were provided with consultations, 16 CSOs were re-registered, 2 new NGOs were registered, 3 charters were developed in Gavar,
55 NGOs applied for consultations, 184 NGOs were provided with consultations, 24 CSOs were re-registered, and 3 new NGOs were registered in

The GIZ funded “Evidence-based Advocacy for Reform” project, (hereinafter referred to as the Project)[2].

It is gratifying to note that throughout 2017, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) funded “Evidence-based Advocacy for Reform” project continued. It was implemented by Consortium of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE), Armenian Lawyers’ Association (ALA) and European Business Association (EBA).
On 8 September, 2017, a round-table discussion took place, during which ALA experts and representatives of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) discussed issues related to economic competition, in particular, emphasizing that the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition does not have sufficient leverage to carry out substantive monitoring and control in the field.
On 15 September, 2017, a seminar on “Free Economic Competition” was held in Vanadzor. Arsen Petrosyan and Davit Pinachyan, the representatives of the RA State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition presented the reforms in the sphere of free economic competition. More than 20 representatives of the business community, who raised their concerns, raised other issues that exist in the sector as well. Corresponding steps to address these issues will be undertaken in the nearest future. ALA experts presented the need to introduce the institute of real owners.
On 10 October, 2017, a meeting was held on the introduction of the institute of private investigators and support in the development of business with the participation of ALA lawyers and the lawyer of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE).
On 20 October, 2017, without ties and formal wording the Chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition and representatives of business and non-profit organizations met, had breakfast and discussed the problems in the field of economic competition. ALA representatives spoke about the major problem in the field of economic competition, the fight against monopolies, and offered the best solution – to create a register of beneficial owners.
The “4th Eastern Partnership Business Forum” on “Digital Economy: Innovative Platform for Transparent Business without Borders” took place on 26-27 October, 2017, in Tallinn, Estonia. Ms Mariam Zadoyan, Project Manager of the ALA component of the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” Project also participated in the event. The forum participants had meetings in B2B format. Within its framework the www.bizprotect.am platform operated by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association was presented as well. The main objective of the Forum was to promote cross-border economic relations, transparency, new business opportunities, and cooperation between the EU and the East, partly targeted towards SMEs.
On 2 November, 2017, a meeting with the RA Minister of Justice took place in the immediate environment without a tie. Representatives of business and non-governmental organizations engaged in the protection of their interests discussed at the coffee table the positive and risky aspects of the introduction of the institute of private investigators. Research conducted by the ALA on the institute of private investigators was presented as well.
On 15 November, 2017, the presentation of the electronic platform “Bizprotect” took place within the framework of the project. This website was designed to reform the business environment, identify corruption risks and detect crimes, provide support to businesses operating in the SME sector. The site allows government agencies to receive signals about the results of their activities from business representatives, and these signals are important in terms of improving their work.
Among the actions aimed at reforming the SME sector, it was important to record and archive the announcements/alerts received through the Bizprotect.am website. The site provides an opportunity to alert to issues that hinder business development, after which experts study the application and respond quickly. The site also allows to report anonymously. The creators of the site, taking into account international standards and experience, have taken care that no one (including law enforcement officers) can find the author of the alarm.
A mobile application titled bizprotect.am or bizpashtpan.am has also been created, in which case it is possible to alert about the problem faster. The application allows to not only transmit textual information, but also photos and documents.
17 cases of whistleblowing occurred in 2017, in which information was provided and anonymity was preserved. In connection with these announcements, 20 letters were prepared and sent to the state bodies, 6 of which were rejected. Whistleblowers were also provided with advice on various business issues.
On 27 November, 2017, in a relaxed environment without ties, high-ranking officials of the RA Ministry of Finance, representatives of businesses and non-governmental organizations dealing with the protection of their interests discussed the problems observed in the field of public procurement and suggestions for their solution. Deputy Minister Karen Tamazyan, and the head of the Department of State Internal Financial Control and Public Procurement Methodology Sergey Shahnazaryan took part in the meeting.

THE 2017 FINANCIAL REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL MEANS OF THE ALA: ALA BOARD AND CONTACTS

Other operating costs

Thousand AMD (Armenian Dram)

	2017	2016

Salary	99,581	74,757
Materials	0	14
Goods	1,139	1,315
Fuel	1,328	1,601
Delivery of services	18,109	3,995
Fees	23	195
Property tax	237	161
Rents	1,002	390
Mail, telecommunications	3,940	4,925
Office and other utility costs	3,138	22,088
Banking services	39	255
Annual wear and amortization	30,845	10,302
Travel	543	72
Other operating expenses/ audit and consulting	6,600	0
Other operating expenses/ conversion	0	0
Force Majeure	0	0
Advertising	0	49
Expenses from fines, penalties, court costs	46	10
Partners’ expenses	38,456	0
Sub-grant expenses	0	0

*Total:*	205,026	120,129

ALA BOARD

The ALA Board is considered to be the governing body of the Organization in the periods between sessions of the General Assembly.

Name, Surname	Position
Karen Zadoyan	ALA President, President of the ALA Board
Arpine Yeghikyan	Executive Secretary of the ALA Board
David Abgaryan	Member of the ALA Board
Narine Karapetyan	Member of the ALA Board
Syuzanna Soghomonyan	Member of the ALA Board
Marat Atovmyan	Member of the ALA Board
Karen Kocharyan	Member of the ALA Board