THE HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE CORRUPTION PREVENTION COMMISSION
The Corruption Prevention Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission) was established on November 19, 2019, and is an integral part of the anti-corruption institutional system.
Within the framework of the UN Convention “Against Corruption” and based on the principles of “zero tolerance for corruption” as well as ensuring the sustainable development and democracy of the Republic of Armenia, the prevention of corruption has been emphasized. To ensure its effective implementation, it was deemed necessary to establish a specialized institutional body with an appropriate mandate and guarantees of independence, as well as to provide full and effective conditions for its operation. In the Republic of Armenia, the prevention of corruption, as an expression of will and commitment, has been materialized in the Anti-Corruption Strategies of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy). Specifically:
• As a positive step in the results of the 2015-2018 Strategy, the adoption of the legislative package on June 9, 2017, including the Law on the Corruption Prevention Commission and amendments to related laws, was recorded. According to this package, it was planned to establish an anti-corruption preventive body in Armenia with guarantees of independence.
• The 2019-2022 Strategy emphasized the elimination of the causes and conditions that give rise to and promote corruption by establishing and improving effective and feasible mechanisms for integrity, transparency, and participation in the public administration system. As a primary measure of the Strategy, the formation of the Corruption Prevention Commission and the assurance of its smooth operation were outlined.
• Thus, the Corruption Prevention Commission was established and was legislatively entrusted with a broad range of powers, including: Ensuring the integrity of public officials, Managing the asset declaration system, Monitoring compliance with incompatibility requirements, conflict of interest regulations, other restrictions, and codes of conduct for officials, Overseeing the financing of political parties, Supporting the management and mitigation of existing corruption risks, Implementing educational programs.
• The Commission operates based on the principles of collegiality, financial independence, public accountability and transparency, cooperation, and political neutrality.
COMMISSION MEMBERS
The Commission consists of five members a Chairperson and four members. The positions of the Commission members are autonomous. They are appointed by the National Assembly for a six-year term, except for cases related to the appointment of the first composition of the Commission.
To ensure the uninterrupted continuity of the Commission’s activities, in 2019, according to the Law on the Corruption Prevention Commission of the Republic of Armenia, the first composition of the Commission members was appointed for the following terms:
1. Two members – 6 years each
2. Two members – 4 years each
3. One member – 3 years
Each Commission member was entrusted with coordinating specific areas of work.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Commission is the legal successor of the High-Ranking Officials’ Ethics Commission. The staff of the latter operated until the formation of the Commission’s structural subdivisions.
In the Commission’s structural subdivisions, professional activities, except for those related to technical support functions, are considered civil service. The employees holding corresponding positions within these subdivisions, including the Secretary General, are civil servants. The relationships related to civil service are regulated by the Law on Civil Service of the Republic of Armenia.
