Preparing a legislative framework for local self-government that is designed to support local autonomy and promote local economic development is key to ensuring effective decentralisation and democratic development in Armenia.
On 20 October 2022, some 40+ stakeholders from local authorities, civil society, international organisations, and the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure gathered in person and online to discuss important policy and legislative proposals to advance decentralisation in Armenia. This Community Consultation meeting was organized in the context of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia to offer stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on the framework and concept that will shape a new Law "On Local Self-Government" and to reflect on preparations for a local economic development policy.
The amalgamation process under the Territorial-Administrative Reform in Armenia has led to a drastic reduction in the number of local communities, and a shift to the proportional electoral system for almost all municipalities. All stakeholders agree on the need to prepare a new legislative framework for local self-government that reflects the new realities on the ground and will help consolidate the decentralisation process.
Participants made reference to a number of Council of Europe standards to be considered when developing these important legislative and policy frameworks. The importance of the European Charter of Local Self-Government cannot be understated. In light of the recent electoral changes, democratic accountability is key to building trust in democratic institutions. Supervision mechanisms for the activities of local government must be proportional. With a view to offering a legal framework for cross-border cooperation, ratification of Protocol 3 of the Madrid Outline Convention should be considered. In a context of decentralisation, local authorities should receive adequate resources and compensation for new competences in line with Article 9 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.
