High-level conference on Ethics and Prevention of Corruption
Workshop on “Ethics and Prevention of Corruption" took place within the framework of the second phase of the Council of Europe/European Union Partnership for Good Governance (PGG).
The members of the Corruption Prevention Commission, the Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe for the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), High-ranking CoE officials and international experts, representatives of the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and civil society, organizers of public administration system of ethics participated in the workshop.
During the workshop, the draft rules of conduct for public servants developed by CPC was discussed with the participation of stakeholders. The participants were introduced to a common perception of code of conduct, the mechanisms to introduce it, which will form proportional and identical behavior throughout the public service.
In her speech, the CPC Chairwoman Haykuhi Harutyunyan noted, that the Code of Conduct aims to prevent potential corruption risks, such as conflict of interest, compatibility with any other paid job, except creative work, other paid work and other restrictions, such as joint work with kinship, etc. ’’These are new rules introduced in a completely institutional way, through which the work of a public servant becomes more free from the risks of corruption, but also accountable’’.
Representatives of the European delegation underlined Armenia's determination in showing zero tolerance for corruption and effective mechanisms to prevent corruption and expressed hope that Armenia's experience can also serve as an example for a number of other countries. Representatives of the European delegation noted that the risk of corruption has decreased in those countries where standard rules are applied effectively.
“Armenia has made progress, but that does not mean there is no place to work. To succeed in the fight against corruption, I think we must first raise public awareness, have well-established institutions, and strong will to go all the way to the end,” said Mustafa Ferati, the Head of the Economic Crime Cooperation Division (ECCD) of the Council of Europe.
When localizing the European model of code of conduct, Armenia took into consideration the peculiarities of our country.
Member of Corruption Prevention Commission Lilit Aleksanyan noted “We must realize that to reduce the risks of corruption, as well as increase the level of trust in the public service can be done exclusively by exemplifying exemplary proper conduct “, she also added that the effectiveness of the Code of Conduct, which is still in force under the Civil Service Law, has not been very high and it is expected that through the rules of conduct to be invested, the public servants involved in the public administration system will become more ethical.
Not following the provisions of the Code of Conduct can cause from the warning even to dismissal, these functions of disciplinary liability are for the person who is authorized to become a public servant.
The first testings for the code of conduct are scheduled for April.
