14:35,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The USAID Armenia Integrity Project was officially launched today.
The purpose of the USAID-funded 5-year Armenia Integrity Project (AIP) is to reduce opportunities for corruption and reinforce public demand for improved governance and accountability in Armenia.
Corruption Prevention Commission president Haykuhi Harutyunyan said at the event that shaping a governance system free of corruption where everyone is equal before the law is of key importance for them.
Harutyunyan said that Armenia is moving to a new phase, a more practical arena in fighting corruption.
The US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy and other officials were also in attendance.
“We are encouraged by the government’s efforts to root out corruption using what is commonly referred to as “the three Ps of anti-corruption”— Prevention, Promotion, and Prosecution. The Armenia Integrity Project, USAID’s signature anti-corruption initiative, will support the Corruption Prevention Commission and the Ministry of Justice, among other stakeholders, in implementing measures to strengthen integrity in the public sector,” US Ambassador to Armenia Tracy said.
“AIP’s main objective is to support Armenia’s efforts to create a culture that rejects corruption as a social norm. We are assisting key national level institutions such as the Corruption Prevention Commission and Ministry of Justice, as well as municipal administrations at the marz level, to develop and implement corruption prevention measures. Additionally, we are supporting civil society organizations, media and youth groups in their efforts to advocate for and promote integrity issues in Armenia,” Lawrence Held, Director of AIP, stated.
Over the next five years, AIP will focus on three key objectives: strengthening corruption prevention institutions and integrity systems; supporting the implementation of specific legal-regulatory measures for corruption prevention; and facilitation of the collective citizen action approach to hold national and local level government entities engaged in corruption prevention mutually accountable.