Anti-Corruption Reforms in Armenia
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FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA Anti-corruption reforms in Armenia 4th round of monitoring of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan ANTI-CORRUPTION NETWORK FOR EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA Anti-Corruption Reforms in ARMENIA Fourth Round of Monitoring of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan About the OECD The OECD is a forum in which the governments compare and exchange policy experiences, identify good practices in light of emerging challenges, and promote decisions and recommendations to produce better policies for better lives. The OECD’s mission is to promote policies that improve economic and social well-being of people around the world. Find out more at www.oecd.org. About the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Established in 1998, the main objective of the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN) is to support its member countries in their efforts to prevent and fight corruption. It provides a regional forum for the promotion of anti-corruption activities, the exchange of information, elaboration of best practices and donor coordination via regional meetings and seminars, peer-learning programmes, and thematic projects. ACN also serves as the home for the Istanbul Anti- Corruption Action Plan. Find out more at www.oecd.org/corruption/acn. About the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan The Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan (IAP) is a sub-regional peer-review programme launched in 2003 in the framework of the ACN. It supports anti-corruption reforms in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan through country reviews and continuous monitoring of participating countries’ implementation of recommendations to assist in the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and other international standards and best practice. Find out more at www.oecd.org/corruption/acn/istanbulactionplan. This report was adopted at the ACN meeting on 4 July 2018 at the OECD in Paris. This report is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. © OECD 2018 2 ACRONYMS ACC Anti-Corruption Council of Armenia ACN Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia AMD Armenian Dram AML/CFT Anti-money laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism ANQA National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation ANSA Armenian National Students Association Armeps Electronic procurement platform of Armenia CBA Central Bank of Armenia CC Criminal Code of Armenia CEHRO Ethics Commission of the High-Ranking Officials of Armenia CoE Council of Europe CoST Construction Sector Transparency Initiative CPC Commission for Prevention of Corruption of Armenia CPCL Law on Commission for Prevention of Corruption of Armenia CPI Corruption Perception Index CSC Civil Service Council of Armenia CSL Civil Service Law of Armenia DC Disciplinary Commission of the General Assembly of Judges of Armenia EBRD European Bank of Reconstruction and Development ECTS European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System EITI Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative EU European Union ECHR European Court of Human Rights FIU Financial Intelligence Unit FMC Financial Monitoring Centre of Armenia FOI Freedom of information 3 FOICA NGO Freedom of Information Center of Armenia FT Financing of terrorism GCB Global Corruption Barometer of Transparency International GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation) GRECO Group of States against Corruption HEI Higher Education Institution HHK Ruling Republican Party of Armenia HR Human resources HRM Human Resources Management HRMIS Human Resources Management Information System IAP Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan ICT Information and communications technology IFC International Finance Corporation IMF International Monetary Fund INTES Methodology for assessing the integrity of education systems Marz Administrative unit (province) of Armenia ML Money laundering MLA Mutual legal assistance MoES Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia MoF Ministry of Finance of Armenia MoJ Ministry of Justice of Armenia MONEYVAL The Council of Europe Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism MoU Memorandum of understanding MP Member of Parliament of Armenia NCLR National Center for Legislative Regulation NGO Non-governmental organisation 4 NIS National Integrity System OCS Office of Civil service of Armenia OGP Open Government Partnership OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OSCE Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe PAA Public Administration Academy of Armenia PPL Law on Procurement of Armenia PSL Public Service Law of Armenia QA Quality assurance RA Republic of Armenia RIA Regulatory impact assessment RTI Global Right to Information Rating SCPEC RA State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of Republic of Armenia SIGMA Support for Improvement in Governance and Management, OECD/EU joint initiative SIS Special Investigation Service of Armenia SJC Supreme Judicial Council of Armenia SOE State-owned enterprise SRC State Revenue Committee of Armenia TI Transparency International TIAC Transparency International Anti-Corruption Centre, Armenia UNCITRAL United Nations Commission on International Trade Law UNCAC United Nations Convention Against Corruption USAID United States Agency for International Development Venice European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe Commission WEF World Economic Forum 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS ..............................................................................................................................................3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................8 SUMMARY OF COMPLIANCE RATINGS ...........................................................................................16 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................17 CHAPTER 1: ANTI-CORRUPTION POLICY .......................................................................................20 1.1 Key anti-corruption reforms and corruption trends ........................................................................20 1.2 Impact of anti-corruption policy implementation ...........................................................................21 1.3 Anti-corruption awareness and education .......................................................................................27 1.4 Corruption prevention and coordination institutions ......................................................................29 CHAPTER 2: PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ..................................................................................36 2.1 Integrity in the public service..........................................................................................................36 2.2 Integrity of political officials ..........................................................................................................58 2.3 Integrity in judiciary and the public prosecution service ................................................................60 2.4 Transparency and accountability in public administration .............................................................90 2.5 Integrity in public procurement .......................................................................................................98 2.6 Business integrity ..........................................................................................................................112 CHAPTER 3: ENFORCEMENT OF CRIMINAL LIABILITY FOR CORRUPTION .........................118 3.1 Criminal law against corruption ....................................................................................................118 3.2 Procedures for investigation and prosecution of corruption offences ...........................................132 3.3 Enforcement of corruption offences .............................................................................................142 3.4 Anti-corruption criminal justice bodies (police, prosecution and judges, anti-corruption bodies)147 CHAPTER 4: PREVENTION AND PROSECUTION OF CORRUPTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION .........................................................................................................................................151 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................151 4.2 Anti-corruption policy ..................................................................................................................159 4.3 Prevention measures .....................................................................................................................167 4.4 Enforcement and results ................................................................................................................178 4.5