Democratic Development, Decentralisation and Good Governance in Armenia – Phase II

Back Congress Secretary General in Armenia discusses progress in local democracy ahead of monitoring mission

Anna SAHAKYAN

Modified 1 Year ago.

Congress Secretary General in Armenia discusses progress in local democracy ahead of monitoring mission

As Armenia prepares to celebrate the 28th Local Self-Government Day on 11 November 2024, Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori visited the country and participated in a public discussion on social policy in the context of decentralisation.

In bilateral meetings with Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sarosyan and Minister of Labour and Social Issues Narek Mkrchtyan, the authorities confirmed their commitment to further decentralisation as a means of strengthening local government and delivering quality public services accessible to citizens.

In a visit to Aparan municipality, Mr Mori witnessed first-hand how local initiatives are advancing social rights and empowering young people. Youth leaders and civil society activists from the vibrant local community have been nurturing youth engagement and fostering active citizenship in cooperation with counterparts from neighbouring Nairi municipality. Aparan has also developed a social services centre to serve as a pilot in delivering these crucial services to citizens.

The visit also served as an opportunity to inform Armenian authorities of the planned monitoring mission of the Congress to Armenia in 2025. Mayor of Yerevan Tigran Avinyan highlighted the importance of pursuing financial decentralisation in order to strengthen local autonomy. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Paruyr Hovhannisyan underlined the value Armenia places on cooperation with the Council of Europe. Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Karapetyan informed of ongoing preparations for unified codes of conduct at central, regional and local levels, and expressed hope that the Congress could help in building capacities of anti-corruption enforcement officers.

YEREVAN, ARMENIA 8 NOVEMBER 2024

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The goal and objective of the project

The Project “Democratic Development, Decentralisation and Good Governance in Armenia – Phase II” aimed to support the adoption of revised legislative framework for local self-government in line with European standards to reflect the new territorial-administrative map of Armenia and develop the capacities of local authorities of newly enlarged communities to ensure they can assume new responsibilities and competences. It also seeked to further raise awareness of good governance principles and promote cross-border co-operation (CBC), inter-municipal co-operation (IMC) and economic development at local level.

Thanks to the project, Armenian citizens will benefit from more inclusive, effective, and resilient institutional structures at local level, which are capable of delivering improved public service and promoting sustainable economic development as a result of an improved legislative framework.

Start date: December 2022

Duration: 37 months

Funding: 1 100 000 EUR

Donor: Austrian Development Cooperation

Contact person: Ms Ani Dallakyan, Senior Project Officer

Who benefits from the project?

Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia
Local authorities in Armenia
Local government associations
Civil society organisations
general public

How did the project work?

Through a combination of tailored policy/legislative actions
capacity building of local authorities of newly enlarged communities
raising awareness of good governance principles
promoting cross-border co-operation (CBC), inter-municipal co-operation (IMC) and economic development at local level.

Achievements

Active and substantive participation of communities and civil society in policy development and local governance processes is ensured.
Local economic development policy is adopted to support financial decentralisation and deliver increased fiscal autonomy at local level.
Revised Law on Local Self-Government and relevant constitutional amendments is adopted in light of stakeholder contribution and in line with European standards.
Improved accessibility to and provision of public service at local level support equal access to resources for women, youth, and vulnerable people.
Start-up grants support the completion of feasibility studies into inter-community cooperation and the establishment of intercommunity arrangements to support shared service delivery.
Start-up grants on cross-border cooperation support the establishment of cross-border economic development initiatives.
Platform for exchange of experience and best practice in inter-municipal cooperation, cross-border cooperation and economic development is established to facilitate peer learning among Communities.