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Civil Society Briefs: Armenia

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Civil Society Briefs: Armenia CIVIL SOCIETY BRIEFS ARMENIA Country and Government Context Civil Society: An Overview Armenia is a small, mountainous, landlocked Armenia acknowledges civil society participation as an country with a population of about important component of public administration processes, 3.2 million. The country is located at the in particular the role of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) crossroads between Europe and Asia in the and political parties. NGO participation in the country’s southern Caucasus. Approximately 65% of the democratization processes has been significant. total population lives in urban areas, of which one-third lives in the capital, Yerevan. After the devastating earthquake of December 1988 and during Armenia declared its independence in 1991. the years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, unions and other The official language is Armenian, but Russian associations were heavily involved in relief and humanitarian is widely spoken. The country is made up of efforts. The Government of Armenia was unable to cope with 11 administrative–territorial units, including the situation itself and, therefore, it had to accept the active Yerevan and 10 marzes (provinces). participation of civil society organizations (CSOs). The Head of the State is the President who appoints the person nominated by the From 1988, major international organizations and parliamentary majority to be the Prime international NGOs started arriving in Armenia. Alongside Minister. The Prime Minister appoints humanitarian aid, they contributed to the development of the ministers to comprise the Cabinet of Ministers. local nongovernment sector. Among the first international The legislative power consists of a single- NGOs operating in Armenia were Armenian Technology Group, chambered National Assembly (Parliament). CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Oxfam Great Britain Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Armenia, Save the Children, and United Methodist Committee Armenia’s transition to a free market- on Relief. Also, the Armenian Diaspora provided humanitarian oriented economy has been characterized aid and contributed greatly to the rehabilitation process. Its by agricultural land privatization, price activities in Armenia are still coordinated through international liberalization, financial sector restructuring, NGOs, including Hope, the NGO Center (NGOC), and the and development of an appropriate legal Armenian Relief Society. framework for private enterprise. Since independence, Armenia has been in This period can be considered the first stage in the formation dispute with Azerbaijan over the territory of local NGOs. The focus of these new NGOs was on refugees, of Nagorno-Karabakh, and thus Armenia’s women, children, the elderly, and the disabled. NGOs’ borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey have been inability to meet growing demand for emergency services and closed. At present, the main trade links are operations was due to the limited scope of NGOs’ activities; limited to low-capacity rail, road connections lack of local NGO skills, knowledge, and capacities; and absence with Georgia and its Black Sea ports, and a single road with Iran. of an appropriate legal framework. Armenia is a lower middle-income country The gradual increase in the number of international NGOs in with a gross national income per capita of Armenia and the corresponding need to regulate the activities $3,250. Armenia is committed to democracy, of all types of CSOs led to the Government of Armenia adopting strengthening civil society, and respecting its first Law on Civil Society Organizations in 1996. The law human rights. The country has ratified several international conventions and treaties encouraged international NGOs to shift their activities from promoting these principles. emergency response to development, the protection of human rights, and enhancing the capacity of local NGOs. A local NGO movement started to develop in the marzes (provinces) as well. Local NGOs began The NGO experience in implementing projects in education, health, culture, community development, and income generation. In Armenia shows that CSOs can 1997, the number of local NGOs reached more than make important contributions 500. By 2001, data from the State Register showed that there were 2,585 NGOs officially registered. Some to the development of the distinguished local NGOs include the economy, education, health, Armenian Constitutional Legal Centre, which established a Human Rights South Caucasus and other fields. Moreover, Regional School in Vanadzor (the third largest city in Armenia) for training teachers to be specialized local NGOs in Armenia have in human rights; Yerevak, which implements community participated in legislative development projects. Within the project framework, a new model was developed by the and political reforms and NGO; and Shen (meaning a well-to-do village in Armenian), in the implementation and which provides initiatives related to community development, income generation, food processing, monitoring of national and clean water in rural areas. The main goal of the organization is to turn abandoned, isolated villages anticorruption programs. into prosperous communities. Shen’s main office is based in Yerevan, and it has branch offices in seven marzes. In 2010, the State Register reported 45 international infrastructure development and construction; and NGOs and 5,700 local NGOs. However, out of the capacity building and technical assistance for total number of local NGOs registered, only 977 local CSOs, self-governing bodies, and are continuously operational. community councils. The NGO experience in Armenia shows that CSOs can Although CSOs have made efforts in exchanging make important contributions to the development information, creating coalitions, and coordinating their of the economy, education, health, and other activities and campaigns, the CIVICUS Civil Society fields. Moreover, local NGOs in Armenia have Index (CSI)1 data show that these efforts are insufficient participated in legislative and political reforms and so far. Fragmentation and competition among CSOs in the implementation and monitoring of national occur frequently, resulting in an ineffective system anticorruption programs. for Armenian CSOs. Working together would enable Armenian CSOs to band together and share resources, Local NGO activities in Armenia can be categorized as and thus have a greater impact on society. humanitarian aid organizations; Corruption is a growing problem in Armenia. gender, children, youth, and minorities; Transparency International’s 2009 indicators for sustainable development in education, health, corruption revealed a worsening situation despite agriculture, science and technology, and various anticorruption initiatives. One anticorruption community development; program of the United States Agency for International human rights, civil society, and democracy; Development (USAID)—Mobilizing Action Against environmental, including biodiversity issues; Corruption (MAAC)—has been operating since 2007 and cultural and art, and sports; and includes a component that supports CSOs in developing legal services, accountancy and management innovative approaches to combat corruption. The project services, social services for disabled and elderly encourages civil society to advocate systemic changes people, and research and analytical services. in the government and issues grants to local NGOs for implementing anticorruption projects. International NGOs can be classified under the same categories as local NGOs, but with two additional Alongside their achievements, today, local CSOs categories: in Armenia face several constraints and challenges. Because of limited coordination among CSOs, Stagnating leadership in NGOs is conditioned by the sector lacks updated information and a database two factors. First, founders of NGOs hold their of NGOs. This creates an inadequate picture of these positions for a long term, which affects the formation organizations and, consequently, gives people a poor of independent boards of directors, and second, the perception of NGOs. This also affects the ability of instability of work in the NGO sector does not attract NGOs to influence the decision-making process in young specialists. the public administration sphere. Due to the sector monopolization, access and Today’s unfavorable relevant legislative framework participation of local NGOs in international and regional does not provide the NGO sector with an opportunity networks are limited. Only financially well-established to acquire alternative financing. Therefore, limited and organizations are involved in these networks. unsustainable funding from donors and the government Underdeveloped impact assessment techniques do not make the NGO sector more dependent, affecting allow NGOs to provide beneficiaries with adequate their independence and sustainability. Accountability services and influence decision-making processes. of NGOs is a major issue. Few NGOs produce annual And lastly, to provide guarantees for efficient operation reports and financial statements. On the other hand, of the sector, legislative amendments (which are not the NGO sector in Armenia is still in its developing stage forthcoming) are required. and is new to society. Below are some examples of cooperation between From 1988 to 1992, NGOs were government structures and NGOs: heavily involved in responding The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA)2 when the country faced considers itself a pioneer
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