Strengthening the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia

Project completed

In partnership with the OSCE, Switzerland supports the Armenian Government in establishing a new Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC). This specialized body will be key in investigating and combatting corruption crimes. Through capacity-building activities and policy support, the ACC will be in a position to contribute to curb corruption, strengthen the Anti-Corruption system and the rule-of-law in the context of the Government’s Anti-Corruption Strategy 2019.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Armenia
Governance
Anti-corruption organisations
Legal and judicial development
Information and communication technology (ICT)
01.12.2020 - 30.06.2023
CHF  472’000
Background The Velvet Revolution of April 2018 brought a regime change, and with it a massive hope for more freedom, justice, and democracy. Anti-corruption measures arguably became the most important reform feature of the new Government and the parliamentary majority. The newly elected Armenian leadership in 2019 adopted the Anti-Corruption Strategy 2019 and a related Action Plan 2019-2022. The Anti-Corruption Strategy elaborates in detail the steps in terms of legislative and institutional reform necessary to achieve the established goals. In charge of disclosure of corruption-related crimes as an independent body, the ACC is to be one of the leading state bodies, operating under the supervision of the National Assembly.
Objectives

The Anti-Corruption Committee’s work to curb corruption is perceived as effective by oversight bodies and the population.

The underlying assumption is that:

If relevant ethical, legal and logistical knowledge necessary to contain and reduce illegal corruption practices is made accessible to the newly founded ACC, the ACC will be able to make competent contributions and conducteffective interactions with relevant players. If achieved, this will result in acknowledgment of the ACC’s relevance within Government institutions and beyond. Thus, the ACC will contribute to continued credibility of the AC-related efforts of Armenia’s public institutions and strengthen the AC system of Armenia.

Target groups

The main target groups are individuals as well as companies and organizations of Armenia: Citizens, SMEs as well as large business companies, non-governmental organization, public institutions.

The main operational project partner and at the same time the main beneficiary is the independent ACC. Indirect partners are the Ministry of Justice including notably the Prosecutor General’s Office and the planned Anti-Corruption Court. In a third circle, consultative multi-stakeholder bodies (Anti-Corruption Policy Council; Corruption Prevention Commission) will benefit from the ACC’s work.

Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1 – Corruption cases are effectively investigated by the ACC

Outcome 2 – The ACC contributes to a better functioning of the AC system

Results

Expected results:  

1. The ACC has a trained team of operative officers to conduct operative work and its specialized units acquired skills in the essentials of conducting corruption crime investigation and detection.

2. The ACC has developed a design and architecture of the IT system to conduct operative work.

3. The ACC has developed a methodology of operational activities and the comprehensive design of essential structures to conduct surveillance and undercover work.

4. The technical knowhow of the ACC is known, accessible and used.

5. The ACC plays an active role in interagency cooperation and coordination.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe
Project partners Contract partner
Other International Organization
  • Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe


Other partners
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Coordination with other projects and actors The project will coordinate and create synergies & complementarities with the other donors, notably the USAID, being the most important interlocutor in the context of this project. At this stage, no significant potential for synergies exists with other SDC projects in Armenia.
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    472’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    389’419
Project phases

Phase 1 01.12.2020 - 30.06.2023   (Completed)