*The information on the speakers is provided according to the order of the presentations in the agenda.

Ms. Mariam Galstyan, Head of Anti-Corruption Policy Development Section, RA Ministry of Justice

Mariam Galstyan has been working at the Ministry of Justice since 2014. As the Head of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development Division, she is in charge of coordinating anti-corruption policy development and cooperating with all sectoral international partners. She is also the State Delegate of GRECO, member of OECD ACN team and Governmental Expert for UNCAC. Prior to that, Ms. Galstyan worked in the Ministry of Health and then served as the assistant to a Deputy Minister of Justice. Mariam is a lawyer by background. She also graduated from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Mr. Anga R. Timilsina, UNDP’s Global Programme Advisor on Anti-Corruption

Anga provides overall supervision and guidance to the UNDP’s global anti-corruption project titled “Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies (ACPIS)”. Anga has provided governance and technical anti-corruption support to more than 40 countries. Anga also coordinates UNDP’s anti-corruption efforts at the global level. He brings his experiences working for various non-governmental agencies in Nepal.He was previously with RAND Corporation, a U.S.-based nonprofit institution, where he worked on issues ranging from post-conflict reconstruction to health and education reforms in many developing countries. Anga has a Ph.D. in Policy Analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School and a master’s degree in international development from the International University of Japan.

Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, Coordinator of the Secretariat of the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia

Karen Zadoyan is a lawyer. In 1995, he founded the Armenian Lawyers’ Association. He is currently the President of the association. In 2014, in collaboration with partner CSOs, he founded CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia, becoming the Coordinator of the Coalition’s secretariat. In 2008 he created and started running the Network of Anti-Corruption Centres of Armenia. In 2012, Karen became the author of the idea to establish Iravaban.net, an independent professional news website. In 2015, he founded and started running the Anti-Corruption School for Young Leaders. Karen Zadoyan is the initiator and author of the roadmap of the anti-corruption reforms implemented in the Republic of Armenia in 2016-2017.

Ms. Sona Ayvazyan, Executive Director of Transparency International Anti-Corruption Centre

Sona Ayvazyan is a founding member of TIAC. She became involved in project activities of the organization in 2002. Since September 2016, she has been the Executive Director of TIAC. She is responsible for the overall management and oversight of the grants and general reporting. Sona was the Chair of TIAC from late 2010 till 2012. At present, she is also leading the organization’s projects related to elections, public assets management and human rights. Before joining TIAC’s team, Sona worked as an environmental policy expert in some USAID- and UNDP-funded environment related projects. She is the author and co-author of more than 10 publications. Sona holds a diploma from the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, a Master’s degree in Political Science from the American University of Armenia and a Master’s degree in International Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, U.S.

Mr. Suren Krmoyan, Adviser to RA Deputy Prime Minister

Suren Krmoyan has been holding the position of Adviser to RA Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia since March 2019. He is the Head of the GRECO Delegation, national expert of the 2^nd IRM round of the UN Convention against Corruption. Suren Krmoyan, acting previously as Deputy Minister of Justice, was is in charge of coordinating anti-corruption policy and was representing Armenia in all international anti-corruption organizations. Suren Krmoyan has a PHD in law. He is the author and co-author of more than 45 scientific articles, books on healthcare and educational manuals.

Ms. Aida Arutyunova, Programme Manager, UNDP’s Global Anti-Corruption Initiative

Ms. Aida Arutyunova has been with the Global Anti-Corruption Initiative since 2010. Currently she manages UNDP’s Global Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies (ACPIS) project based in UNDP Singapore Global Policy Center. She manages activities of the programme that relate to work on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption․ Ms. Arutyunova works with approximately 40 UNDP Country Offices on yearly basis and liaises with different partners such as U4, Integrity Action, Transparency International, etc. She has 18 years of experience in working on development and humanitarian issues. Previously, she managed an Anti-Corruption Programme in UNDP Armenia Country Office, worked for European Union as a national advisor to the Government of Armenia on the issues of anti-corruption, transparency and accountability, and managed the Central Asian portfolio of programmes for UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. She holds Master’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations from the American University of Armenia.

Mr. Khachik Harutyunyan, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Centre, Anti-Corruption Expert

Khachik cooperates with TIAC as Anti-Corruption Expert. His responsibilities include coordination and implementation of sectorial research, study of specific anti-corruption issues and developing products and coordination of TIAC’s cooperation with whistleblowers. His cooperation with the TIAC started in late 2008, when he became involved as a lawyer with the Advocacy and Assistance Center in Yerevan, operated by TIAC. He has been a member of TIAC since 2010. Khachik is a graduate of the University of Zurich (LL.M) and American University of Armenia (LL.M).

Haik Movsisian, Deputy Head of the Department of State Interests Protection

Haik Movsisian has also acted as a Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Corruption and Economic Crimes. In 2017, he was one of the anti-corruption champions delegated to the United Kingdom on a study visit to support the RA Government in the implementation of the 2015-2018 Anti-Corruption Strategy and its implementation action plan. Haik Movsisyan is a trainer at the Justice Academy of Armenia representing a course developed by the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the US Embassy to Armenia, member of the global network “The Law enforcement bodies against corruption” anti-corruption network of OECD and Governmental Expert for the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism. Has graduated from Armenian State University of Economics, Faculty of World Economy, Yerevan State University, Faculty of Law, the program on Countering Transnational Organized Crime of the George C. Marshall European Center For Security Studies and is a Candidate of Economic Sciences.

Mr. Shervin Majlessi, Deputy Coordinator, World Bank/UNODC Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR)

Shervin Majlessi has been the Deputy Coordinator (Senior Financial Sector Specialist/Senior Legal Adviser) of the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) since July 2017. He has more than 15 years of experience in the areas of rule of law, anti-corruption and good governance. Until April 2015, he had been the Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser at UNODC’s Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. Prior to that, he managed the Accountability and Transparency Project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kabul, Afghanistan, and was involved in setting up a new anti-corruption institution, the independent joint anti-corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC). He has served at New York Office of the UNODC and at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, focusing on good governance/corruption issues.  Shervin holds a PhD (Doctor of Civil Law) and an LL.M. in international economic law from McGill University (Canada), an LL.M. in international finance from Harvard Law School (USA) and a bachelor of law and master of public international law from University of Tehran (Iran).

Ms. Syuzanna Soghomonyan, Armenian Lawyers’ Association, Anti-Corruption Expert

Syuzanna Soghomonyan is a lawyer and a board member of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association (ALA). She was actively involved in drafting the alternative law on the independent anti-corruption agency, as well as reviewing the draft law on the whistleblowing system. She regularly prepares the agenda for the sessions of the board of the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia. She also coordinates the work of the national anti-corruption centres which were initially established under USAID funding and continue to be operated by ALA. Ms. Soghomonyan is the President of the Armenian Young Lawyers’ Association (AYLA). She was one of the four independent experts appointed by the Government to work on anti-corruption action plans (in her case: the state revenues sector of the 2015-2018 RA Anti-Corruption Strategy). In 2017, Ms. Soghomonyan was one of the anti-corruption champions delegated to the United Kingdom on a study visit to support the RA Government in the implementation of the 2015-2018 Anti-Corruption Strategy and its implementation action plan. Ms. Soghomonyan is a lecturer at the Anti-Corruption School for Young Leaders.

Mr. Hayk Martirosyan, Legal Expert, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Centre

Hayk has been cooperating with TIAC as a Legal Expert since 2019. His responsibilities include developing methodologies for monitoring and research in certain areas of the organization’s activity, making expert legislative recommendations, and some others. Before joining TIAC, Hayk worked in private organizations, Police, Investigative Committee, Prosecutor General’s Office, systems of tax service and OECD Yerevan Office as an expert. Hayk holds a PhD in Law, he is a lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Economics and Management, Yerevan State University. He was a lecturer at the French University in Armenia. Hayk is the author of more than 30 studies.

Mr. Yaroslavs Strelcenoks, Former Head of KNAB, Latvian Anti-Corruption Agency

Mr. Strelcenoks has 16 years’ practical experience as a practitioner and Head of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) of the Republic of Latvia in the field of prevention and combating corruption, control of public officials’ actions and prevention of conflicts of interest, etc. Strelcenoks has served as the international anti-corruption expert of the OECD, CoE and OSCE in different countries, including CIS countries. Strelcenoks also has 6 years of teaching experience in the State School of Administration of Latvia. In 2017, he prepared an education programme and delivered a 3-day professional development workshop for Ethics commissioners in the Republic of Kazakhstan.. In 2012-2016, he led the Latvian delegation in GRECO. Strelcenoks holds two Master’s degrees in justice and international law. He is the author of the book “Restrictions and Prohibitions for Public Officials in Schemes.”

Mr. Edgar Shatiryan, Member of the Commission on Ethics of High-Ranking Officials of the Republic of Armenia

Edgar Shatiryan has been a Commissioner at the Commission on Ethics of High-Ranking Officials of Armenia since 2015. He has also served as a lawyer-academic member of the Ethics Committee Adjunct to the Prosecutor General since 2018. He was a member of the working group on institutional system reform in the field of combatting corruption (established by the Presidential Decree of 20 December 2016). He was appointed a member of the professional council 001 of law at the Yerevan State University. Mr. Shatiryan has solid teaching experience; from 2010 to 2017, he was an Associate Professor at the Chair of Constitutional Law of the Yerevan State University and a lecturer at the Chair of Constitutional Law of the Yerevan State University from 2004 to 2010. In 2007, he was appointed to be adviser to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia and before that worked at the Department of Amnesty, Citizenship, Awards and Titles of the Office of the President of Armenia.

Mr. Emin Yeritsyan, President of the Union of Communities of Armenia

Yeritsyan is the Head of the Armenian delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. He is also the Head of Armenian delegation to the Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) and a CORLEAP Co-Chair. Emin Yeritsyan is a member of the Anti-Corruption Council adjunct to the Prime Minister of Armenia.

Ms. Arpine Sargsyan, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, Acting Head of Penitentiary Policy Development Division

Arpine Sargsyan has been working at the Ministry of Justice since 2015. She was involved in the anti-corruption policy development process by elaborating draft anti-corruption legislative acts regarding criminal legislation (criminalization of illicit enrichment, Law on the Whistleblowing System, etc.). Prior to that, Ms. Sargsyan was the Assistant to Deputy Minister of Justice and worked at the private sector for 5 years. Ms. Sargsyan is a PhD student of Criminal Law Chair of the YSU Law School.

Arkadi Sahakyan, President of the Governing Board of the Anti-Corruption Coalition of CSOs of Armenia

Arkadi Sahakyan is the Legal expert of The Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises since 2009. In Arkadi’s viewpoint, combating corruption should be combined by innovative approaches and advanced technologies, a striking example of which is the Whistleblowing platform for Business “Bizprotect”, created within the framework of the “Evidence-Based Advocacy” Project in a Consortium with the Armenian Lawyers Association. Since 2017 he is a Director of the “Military Industry Expert Group of the Union of Informative Technology Enterprises” LLC. Before that, Arkadi has represented interests of clients in RA courts, as well as acted as a Deputy Head of ABA/CEELI “Legal Clinic”, Yerevan Northern University.

Mr. David Bloss, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP-Caucasus), Regional Editor

David Bloss is the Caucasus region editor for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). He reports and edits alongside journalists and media organizations. Much of OCCRP’s corruption stories are based on data. OCCRP specializes in tracking corruption across borders. After a 25-year journalism career in the United States, Bloss has also worked in Cambodia, Indonesia, East Timor, India and Libya.

Ms. Lilya Shushanyan, RA Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development

Before being appointed Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, Lilia Shushanyan worked in the RA Government over the past 5 years. She was involved in the processes related to the improvement of public administration and carrying out such cooperation programmes with such international partners as the World Bank, the UN Development Programme, the German Society for International Cooperation, the British Embassy in Yerevan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In the meantime, she also ran the “Improvement of Transparency in the Field of Mining” project funded by USAID. She has also been a member of the Open Government Partnership working group. Lilia Shushanyan has run the entire process of Armenia’s membership to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

Ms. Mariam Zadoyan, Anti-Corruption Expert at the CSO Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia

Mariam Zadoyan is managing both the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” and the “Introduction of the Institute of Beneficial Ownership in RA” projects. She coordinates the Whistleblowing Platform “Bizprotect” and is the representative of the Chamber of Advocates at the Competition Board of the RA Corruption Prevention Commission. She has been a member of the working groups established by RA Minister of Justice aimed at the anti-corruption policy development process and has acted as a national anti-corruption and human rights expert in a number of projects. Mariam is the author/co-author of approximately 15 publications in the fields of fight against corruption and law and is a lecturer at the Anti-Corruption School for Young Leaders. In 2018, she was awarded a commemorative medal by the RA Prosecutor General for the fight against corruption. Mariam is an Eastern Partnership Civil Society Fellow, Vice-President of the Armenian Young Lawyers’ Association, practicing attorney and the host of the program “Legal Week”. Mariam has participated in a training at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Austria, is doing her PHD at the Slavonic University, is holding an LLM Degree from the American University of Armenia and an LLB Degree from the French University in Armenia.

Mr. Alex Petkov, Anti-Corruption Education Expert, UNODC, Anti-Corruption Academic Initiative (ACAD)

Starting from 2018, Alex Petkov has been the Consultant to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He has previously worked in the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Austria, as well as the Cash service company, Bulgarian National Bank. Petkov earned his PhD in Economics at the Department of National and Regional Security, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Mr. Marat Atovmyan, Armenian Lawyers’ Association, Anti-Corruption Expert

Since 1996, Marat Atovmyan has worked in state, international, private and civil society organizations. As a national and international expert, he has worked with UNDP, UNICEF, OSCE, ILO, USAID, World Bank, EU and other programmes. He has given many lectures on human rights, good governance, integrity and corruption both in Armenia and abroad, including the Anti-Corruption School for Young Leaders. M. Atovmyan is a board member at the Armenian Lawyers’ Association and the Swiss Alumni Association, a member of the Public Council, Chamber of Advocates and the group of independent experts of the European Charter for Local Self-Government.  It was his initiative to include anti-corruption and integrity courses in the training programmes for civil servants of Armenia and in the curricula of several HEIs. He was an independent experts appointed by the Government to work on RA Anti-Corruption Strategy’s Action Plan in the Education sector. Marat is an author of more than 20 scientific articles and 2 monographs.

Ms. Narine Sargsyan, “Future Is Yours” NGO President

Ms. Narine Sargsyan has been the President of the “Future Is Yours” NGO since 2003.  Since 2006, she has been manager of projects aimed at tolerance education, increasing legal awareness, civic education, anti-corruption education and upbringing. Starting from 2012, Narine has been the Headmaster of the Heratsi High School under the Yerevan State Medical University. She is the author of books on organizing non formal education in schools (“Education against Corruption” (2010), “Education as a Means for Corruption Prevention” (2011)).  In 1981-1985, she studied at the Faculty of Culture, Leninakan State Pedagogical Institute named after M. Nalbandyan, to be a music teacher, pedagogue and psychologist, and in 2007-2012 she studied at the Law School, Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute named after M. Nalbandyan, to be a lawyer and pedagogue.

Mr. Ashot Hayrapetyan, “Legal Education and Rehabilitation Programme Implementation Centre” SNCO, Director

Ashot Hayrapetyan studied at the Yerevan State University to be a lawyer. Then, he studied at YSU, Faculty of International Affairs, and gained his Master’s Degree as a Specialist of International Relations. Since October 2004, I have been working as a Director of the Law Institute of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, a State Non-Profit Organization (currently “Legal Education and Rehabilitation Programmes Implementation Center” SNCO). He is a PhD in Law and an Associate Professor. Currently he is working to become a doctor at the Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Armenia. He is the author of more than 30 scientific articles, 2 monographs and 1 study guide.