AN ANTI-CORRUPTION FORUM KICKS OFF IN ARMENIA
Lusine Vasilyan

"Radiolur"
09.12.2009 14:42

An anti-corruption forum, organized by the USAID Mobilizing Action
Against Corruption (MAAC) Activity in cooperation with the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office in Yerevan and the
Prosecutor General’s Office of RA marked International Anti-Corruption
Day on December 9.

Over 150 representatives of the Armenian government, civil society,
private sector, and international organizations attended the forum.

Guest speakers at the event included Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, Prosecutor General of Armenia
Aghvan Hovsepyan, United Nations Resident Coordinator, a.i. Maria
Dotsenko, Head of ENP, European Commission Delegation to Armenia
Uffe Holst Jensen, Special Representative of the Secretary General,
Council of Europe Silvia Zehe, Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in
Yerevan Carel Hofstra and USAID MAAC Chief of Party Francois Vezina.

In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Sargsyan emphasized the
critical role of the Government’s 2009-2012 Anti-Corruption Strategy
and Action Plan, adopted in October 2009, in fighting corruption
in the country. In turn, Ambassador Yovanovitch noted the successes
of the Advocacy and Assistance Centers (AAC) in combating corruption
countrywide. "Here in Armenia, within the last year, there is a rapidly
growing number of examples in which local people working together,
exercising their rights, and demanding that government officials be
held accountable are making a real and tangible difference in the
fight against corruption," she said, "In the last year, over 2,000
people have come to MAAC-supported Advocacy and Assistance Centers and
MAAC grantee-NGOs for help, and the Centers, working with prosecutors
and the courts, are achieving real and positive results." The AACs,
established with the support of USAID/MAAC between 2008-2009 in all
marzes of Armenia, represent NGO-run citizen complaint offices where
victims of corruption can receive free legal advice and assistance.

Within the framework of the forum, the Head of the Corruption and
Organized Crime Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Armen
Ashrafyan, presented the "Prosecution Against Corruption" book to
event participants. In addition, the Caucasus Research Resource
Center-Armenia presented the findings of the MAAC 2009 Corruption
Survey of Households while drawing parallels with MAAC’s survey
in 2008.