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United Nations Development Programme / Armenia
14 Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010
Contact: Mr. Hovhannes Sarajyan, Communications Associate
Tel: +37410 566 073
E-mail: hovhannes.sarajyan@undp.org<mailto:hovhannes.sa rajyan@undp.org>
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UNDP Facilitates Diaspora Technical Support to Armenian Institutions

Yerevan, 16 April 2009 – Today, Armen Baibourtian, Senior Adviser to
UN RC/UNDP RR, Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative
and Hovhannes Sarajyan, UNDP Communications Associate met with
recently recruited Diaspora experts who are in Armenia as part of the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched TOKTEN program
(Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals).

In September 2008, UNDP in Armenia, as part of UN "Global Armenia"
initiative, and upon the request of the Ministry of Diaspora, started
recruitment of Armenian Diaspora professionals to work at the Ministry
of Diaspora as experts on American-Armenian, Russian-Armenian,
European-Armenian, Middle Eastern Armenian communities, and media
affairs. They support the recently established Ministry of Diaspora in
its daily activities and formulation of future policies.

Welcoming the newly recruited Diaspora professionals, Mr. Baibourtian
said that last year UNDP in Armenia has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Ministry of Diaspora establishing a legal
framework for future cooperation, including TOKTEN program. The main
purpose of the meeting, according to him, was to assess the project
implementation process and receive direct feedback from the Diaspora
experts and the ministry on the mechanisms to streamline the program
for the future and fill in the possible gaps.

Diaspora experts expressed their appreciation to UNDP and the Ministry
of Diaspora for the initiative and for giving them an opportunity to
share their vast experience in Diaspora with their colleagues in the
homeland. They expressed readiness to continue their support to the
ministry through various informal Diaspora networks after the
completion of their mission.

The concept of TOKTEN was introduced in 1977 under the auspices of
UNDP and UN Volunteers (UNV) and is aimed at mobilizing technical
expertise of committed expatriates to work voluntary in their country
of origin to support the country’s development process.

The TOKTEN program in Armenia, launched in September 2008, provides a
framework to apply the skills, knowledge and expertise of the Diaspora
Armenians for the development of the country. Assignments are
demand-driven, based on development needs, as identified by UNDP in
collaboration with national partners. As this is a program to enhance
volunteerism, UNDP covers experts’ travel expenses and provides a
living allowance in Armenia.

The United Nations family in Armenia reaches out to Armenian Diaspora,
among others, through
;http://www.globala rmenia.am> website.