Înapoi Towards the adoption of a Code of Conduct for deputies of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia

Towards the adoption of a Code of Conduct for deputies of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia

The Project on “Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia” continues to support the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in developing a Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament. This assistance addresses both national priorities in the Republic of Armenia and an important recommendation by GRECO in its Fourth Round Evaluation (GrecoRC4(2019)21) that a Code of Conduct for members of parliament be adopted and made easily accessible to the public, which provides clear guidance on conflicts of interest and related areas.

On 6 and 7 February 2021, following-up on previously provided recommendations on drafting a Code of Conduct for the deputies, the project organised a workshop with the participation of the Deputy Speaker and 62 Members of the National Assembly. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the draft amendments related to the formation and work procedures of the Ethics Commission and the proposed Code of Conduct for the deputies, in light of international expertise and good practices, with a view to reaching a consensus towards their adoption.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Lena Nazaryan, Executive Secretary of GRECO and Head of the Council of Europe’s Action against Crime Department Hanne Juncher, and Acting Head of the Yerevan Council of Europe Office Maxime Longangue, opened the event highlighting the particular importance of the topic. The event allowed the Members of Parliament to gather together in person for the discussion while international Council of Europe experts and representatives of the Council of Europe Secretariat participated online. Lively exchanges took place over the two days, reflecting on both the substantive contents and the form that these proposed reforms should take, taking into account international standards and practices as well as the Armenian context. It was highlighted that the adoption of such reforms will contribute to the formation of a new environment for parliamentary ethics and a new political culture, to increase and maintain public confidence in the National Assembly.

The Council of Europe will continue to provide support to the National Assembly in its endeavour to form a temporary Ethics Commission and to finalise and adopt the draft Code of Conduct.

This activity was organised in the framework of the project "Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia”, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe, implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II Programme.

Armenia 6-7 February 2021
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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