Transparency International: Armenia Must Do More To Fight Corruption

Armenia made little progress in the past year to adopt or implement anti-corruption measures, according to the latest assessment reports released today by Transparency International, which calls on Armenia to introduce greater transparency and accountability in all areas of government.

The report focuses on reforms in the judiciary and in the public sector and assesses Armenia’s compliance with international anti-corruption conventions and implementing recommendations made by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the Council of Europe body that monitors anti-corruption efforts.

Armenia implemented little changes throughout 2010, particularly in the areas concerning judicial reform and civil service administration, which are seen to lack independence and transparency and in the case of the civil service administration is highly politicized. Some progress has been made regarding the implementation of some of GRECO recommendations, in particular, the adoption of guidelines for the detection of corruption offences, the abolition of parliamentary immunity and a way to handle complaints about breaches of ethical rules within the public administration. However, in all three areas implementation remains the main challenge.