OSCE OFFICE IN YEREVAN HELPS REDUCE CORRUPTION RISK IN PUBLIC SERVICES

ArmRadio – Public Radio
Oct 8 2007
Armenia

An OSCE-supported publication aimed at educating the public and public
officials to reduce the potential for corruption was presented today
in Yerevan.

The "Know and Act" manual offers practical information on the
role, functions and administrative procedures of Armenian local
self-government bodies, notary offices and other agencies.

"The experience of our reception centres shows that, unfortunately, in
many cases corruption becomes possible due to the lack of knowledge of
citizens and public officials about their rights and responsibilities
as well as relevant procedures. This book aims to fill this gap,"
said Marc Bojanic, Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, at
the presentation.

The manual was prepared by local NGO the Millennium Association
for Education and Research, on the basis of experience from the
Anti-Corruption Reception Centre in the Armenian town of Martuni,
with support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan. It provides information
on the prices for various administrative services as well as templates
for applications and other documents that a person needs to file when
dealing with local self-government bodies and public agencies.

Hard copies of the manual are available for wide distribution in the
OSCE Office in Yerevan and an electronic version is available here
.

The OSCE has supported the operation of Anti-Corruption Reception
Centres in the capital Yerevan as well as Armenia’s Lori and
Gegharkunik provinces since 2006. Experts working in these centres
assist people on issues ranging from healthcare and education,
traffic police and military conscription to public services and
consumer rights.