Yerevan hosts meeting on Good Governance and EU Budget SupportJune 21, 2013 - 12:54 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Civil Society Organizations, including the members of the Armenian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership, took part in the meeting on Good Governance and the EU Budget Support organized by the EU Delegation to Armenia on June 20, 2013. The meeting was opened by Traian Hristea, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia. “It is our firm intention to put the CSOs in center of our dialogue and enhance policy participation of citizens through CSOs,” he said. Alessandro Zanotta, Project Manager from the EU Delegation to Armenia, presented General Conditions and principles of the EU Budget Support in Armenia and areas that it covers. He underlined the role of the dialogue between all stakeholders in the process of oversight of the budget and explained the necessity of CSOs involvement in policy dialogue. CSOs experience and activities in the area of Good Governance were shared during two presentations held on the behalf of the Working Group 1 of the Armenian National Platform. Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of Transparency International tackled the issues of anticorruption policies and bodies, elections, public procurement and public service. Larisa Minasyan, Executive Director of Open Society Institute AF Armenia, gave a presentation on ICT management and higher education and a specific case of Yerevan city budget formation. The need of more institutionalized and systemic involvement of the Non-State Actors in policy dialogue around Budget Support eligibility criteria and at the sector level was highlighted during the discussion. The CSOs expressed a view that adoption of laws has to be followed by their implementation. Therefore a monitoring is essential in order to assess how it works in reality. It was agreed that a working group on Budget Support Operations should be created. Through bi-monthly meetings focusing on a variety of topics and engaging different CSOs, the EU Delegation wishes to strengthen accessibility and quality of information on the EU agenda in Armenia. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. EU still discussing funding Armenia through European Peace Facility Discussions continue in the EU on providing Armenia with funds from the European Peace Facility, Vassilis Maragos says. Greek-Armenian organizations support "Tavush for Motherland" Greek-Armenian organizations have expressed support for the campaign led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. |