Prosecutorial independence in upholding the rule of law was discussed during the conference organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia on 1-2 July 2023 in Yerevan, Armenia, within the framework of the joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe on “Partnership for Good Governance”. This high-level event brought together Prosecutors General and other high-level prosecutors from several member States of the Council of Europe. The conference participants were greeted by Mr Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, who delivered the opening address, followed by a video welcome speech of Mr Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The CCPE standards, in particular its Opinion No. 9 (2014) on European norms and principles concerning prosecutors, including Rome Charter, Opinion No. 13 (2018) on independence, accountability and ethics of prosecutors, and Opinion No. 16 (2021) on implications of the decisions of international courts and treaty bodies as regards the practical independence of prosecutors, were presented and highlighted by Mr Antonio Vercher Noguera, member of the CCPE Bureau and former CCPE President, and by Mr Artashes Melikyan, Secretary of the CCPE. The participants of the conference also discussed their respective national practices in various member States of the Council of Europe and recognised the importance of the CCPE standards in guiding prosecutorial reforms.

As a result of the discussions, the conference participants summarised conclusions in the Outcome Document of the conference making reference to the CCPE and other relevant standards.