Azeri Media Publishes Disinformation

[08.12.2004]

Armenian ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan came up with a statement on Wednesday
denying the allegation made by some Azeri media outlets after the conference of
the CIS and the CE member countries’ ombudsmen held recently in Berlin about
Azerbaijan ombudsman victory over his Armenian counterpart, who alleged failed
to refute the facts brought against Armenia.

She denounced that as an apparent attempt to mar relations between the two
countries’ ombudsmen and involve national human rights institutions into ignoble
game.

Meanwhile, the CE press release says the only document adopted at the conference
is Berlin declaration and there was not a word about Azeri ombudsman’s proposals
or demands, especially related to Karabakh conflict.

Another conference of CIS and CE member countries’ ombudsmen was held in Baku,
Azerbaijan. Larissa Alaverdyan received no invitation for that event.

In her Wednesday’s statement, she says international community, the CE member
countries and international organisations are becoming forced participants of a
shabby campaign launched by Azeri media.

“Taking into account what happened we have to raise the issue of creation of
healthy climate in the region for effective work”, the statement says.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1876

Armenian Court Gives Green Light For Iraq Deployment

[08.12.2004]

Armenia’s Constitutional Court gave the government the green light to send
Armenian non-combat troops to Iraq, a deployment which Defense Minister Serzh
Sarkisian claimed will spare the country international isolation.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1877

Statement of Transparency International

[09.12.2004]

On 9-10 December, 2003, at a ceremony in Merida, Mexico, the UN Convention
against Corruption was signed by the first member-states. Since then 113
countries have signed the Convention. To mark the event, the UN General Assembly
designated 9th of December, starting in 2004, as International Anti-Corruption
Day. Today, representatives of Transparency International movement all over the
world urge the states including Armenia, which have not yet joined the
Convention, to sign and ratify it.

During the last year, the Armenian Government adopted the Anti-Corruption
Strategy Program and the Action Plan of its Implementation. Armenia has joined
the GRECO and participated in the OECD/Anti-Corruption Network regional
initiative. The Anti-Corruption Council and the Monitoring Commission, with the
involvement of NGOs, as well as the Anti-Corruption Department within the Office
of the Prosecutor General, have been established. Various legal and sub-legal
acts, with some anti-corruption provisions, have been drafted and approved. Both
public discussions and media coverage of the corruption-related issues have been
notably activated.

It should be however mentioned that Armenia still lacks the most critical
prerequisites for the effective fight against corruption, namely, true political
will and active public participation. Real manifestation of political will
assumes not only promoting legal reforms and joining international conventions,
but also ensuring the unconditional law enforcement and the elimination of the
actual impunity of those involved in corruption crimes in order to punish
everybody, regardless of his/her position and income. Only through such
manifestations of political it would be possible to gain the public trust and
secure citizens’ participation in combating corruption across the country.
Respect to law, preservation of moral values and high intolerance towards
corruption must be equally required from authorities and civil society.

Corruption, which has infected all spheres of political and economic life of the
Armenian society, is diminishing the morale, deteriorating the statehood and
making the country vulnerable in the face of modern geopolitical challenges. We
can still stop the processes endangering the existence of our nation and
independence of our statehood.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1890

FOI Awards Winners Announced

[13.12.2004]

On December 10, 2004 the Freedom of Information Civic Initiative (Freedom of
Information Center, Civil Society Institute and Media Law Institute) announced
FOI Awards winners of 2004.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1878