News

Transparency International's Global Corruption Report 2009: Corruption and the Private Sector (GCR), launched on Wednesday, 23 September 2009 in New York, features more than 75 experts examining the scale, scope and devastating consequences of corporate corruption, complemented by 45 in-depth country reports along with best practices and practical recommendations. Report on Armenia includes key legal and institutional changes of anti-corruption policy carried out in Armenia from June 1, 2007 to May 31 2008.

A number of NGOs came up with a statement on youth movement activist Tigran Arakelyan who was in detention for about two and a half months on charges of resisting police officers. He was summoned to Yerevan's Kentron administrative district police department, ostensibly as the victim of the attack, but after several hours of interrogation and confrontation with the officers involved in the fight, he instead stood accused, charged with "offering resistance to a representative of authorities" under Article 258, section 3, subsection 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.

Civil society organizations and civic activists appealed to diplomatic missions and international organizations in Armenia and International human rights organizations worldwide to draw their attention to recent human rights abuses with respect to the violation of children's rights, suppression of freedom of expression and failure to ensure fair trial. They call for protection of human rights and access to justice in Armenia, establishment of a commission with the involvement of international and civil society representatives to examine the situation in special boarding schools in Armenia and support for public monitoring and introduction of reforms in those schools.

Berlin --- Seven days of government negotiations in Vienna have failed to resolve differences over the establishment of an implementation review mechanism for the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Failure of the Vienna talks is a major setback as it casts serious doubt over the possibility of an effective mechanism to review the implementation of anti-corruption commitments at the summit meeting of the parties to the Convention to be held in November.

260 organizations from 77 countries are calling on the 136 states parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to adopt a transparent, accountable and effective system to monitor progress in implementation of anti-corruption commitments. The Statement will remain open to receive support from civil society organizations throughout September and October 2009. Click HERE if your organization wants to sign on to the Coalition Statement.

A number of NGOs came up with a statement supporting young environmentalist Mariam Sukhudyan. It is viewed as a next step to protect the public activist who has unreasonably been accused of false crime reporting for mercenary purposes as a result of raising an alarm of the situation in Nubarashen boarding school No. 11 for children with special needs.

For more information see the Statement

On August 19, 2009, scores of demonstrators, concerned about the future of the country, gathered in front of the Criminal Investigation Department (162 Khorenatsi St.) building in Erebuni district to protest the accusations brought against Mariam Sukhudyan, a young activist in the Teghut Defense Group. Mariam Sukhudyan and a number of other like-minded young people, who worked as volunteers in Nubarashen boarding school No. 11, a school for children with special needs, from April to June 2008 as part of the UN "10 Best Schools" project, brought attention to a number of problems encountered at the school.

Amalia Kostanyan, Chairwoman and Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of Transparency International Anti-corruption Center attended a training workshop in Berlin on "National Integrity System (NIS) Assessment" from July 27 to 28, 2009 and gave presentations during Sessions on NIS Workshop and on NIS Pillars and Indicators, respectively. They also participated in a training on "Anti-corruption: Delivering Change (AC:DC) Program" on July 29, 2009. National Chapters from Georgia and Ethiopia as well took part in the training. Both events were organized by TI-Secretariat.

Chairwoman of Transparency International Anti-corruption Center Amalia Kostanyan made a presentation on "Corruption and the Rights of Political Participation" at the 4th Anti-Corruption Forum on "Corruption and Human Rights: Making the Connection," held on July 22, 2009. The Forum organized by USAID MAAC Activity was devoted to exploring linkages between corruption and human rights.

On July 21, 2009, Transparency International Anti-corruption Center and "Ecodar" environmental NGO appealed against a decision of the Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia with respect to dismissing the NGOs' lawsuit against exploitation of Teghut mine on the grounds that the plaintiffs were not legally authorized to debate the mentioned issues. The appeal is based on the fact that the plaintiffs are "the public concerned," which is as well confirmed by the Findings and Recommendations with regard to Compliance by Armenia with Its Obligations under the Aarhus Convention in relation to the Development of the Dalma Orchards Area, adopted by the Aarhus Convention's Compliance Committee in March 2006.