The Civil Society Institute (CSI) is a non-governmental organization based in Yerevan which aims to assist and promote the establishment of a free and democratic society in Armenia. Established in 1998 and formerly known as the Civil Society Development Union, CSI has implemented a series of programs, research and publications surrounding the principles of democracy and human rights.

CSI is the Armenian member organization of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). Since its founding, CSI has worked on and continues to carry out programs revolving around the following initiatives,

• Civil society development
• Penal system reforming
• Human rights advocacy and awareness
• Peacebuilding and conflict resolution
• Capacity building of youth
• Our activities are geared towards increasing the efficacy of governmental bodies as well as non-governmental organizations while simultaneously supporting the development of civil society.

Throughout the implementation of our programs, CSI has established long-term working relationships with different state agencies and international organizations such as the Police of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Labor and Social Issues, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman’s office, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Penal Reform International (PRI), and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT). CSI has its representatives on the monitoring boards of the Ministry of Justice and the Police.