Conference devoted to corruption prevention day

On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, the Ministry of Justice summed up the results of the one-month campaign entitled "Let’s combine efforts and prevent corruption". Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan delivered an introductory speech at the conference on "Challenges of combating corruption and the ways to overcome them", noting that the Government has repeatedly emphasised at the highest level that combating corruption is our strategic priority. He reminded once again that the Government is determined to uncompromisingly combat corruption through the engagement of all interested parties in order to finally eradicate corrupt practices. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that starting from 2018, the Government of the Republic of Armenia has made great efforts to create and develop an institutional anti-corruption system, and there is a high level of awareness that combating corruption is only possible through co-ordinated work. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed gratitude to all the government agencies and people who work hard to create a corruption-free society through their daily activities. In her video message, Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan congratulated the participants on International Anti-Corruption Day and mentioned that Armenia has been consistently combating corruption for the past six years, with the principle of "zero tolerance for corruption" in mind. During the discussion, Deputy Minister of Justice Tigran Dadunts also delivered a speech in which he attached importance to the fact that 40 awareness-raising events and events have been organised as part of the nationwide whistle-blowing campaign, with the participation of about 900 people from all marzes of the Republic of Armenia and the city of Yerevan. She mentioned that the figures show the results of the campaign, stressing the nearly 200% monthly increase in whistle-blowing cases. Acting Chairperson of CPC Mariam Galstyan comprehensively presented the activities carried out by the Commission and added that the 9^th of December serves as a unique opportunity to assess the implemented activities and analyse the existing issues. Deputy Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee Mushegh Babayan and USAID/Armenia Mission Director John Allelo also delivered speeches. John Allello attached special importance to the fact that the establishment of a solid system of integrity in the public sector is essential for the development of values of any democratic nation. By marking International Anti-Corruption Day, we voiced the joint achievements, but also considered the ways to overcome the challenges still existing in this area and the lessons learned in order to apply these systems more effectively. The meeting continued with a panel discussion on "Legal, institutional instruments and challenges of state bodies in combating corruption in Armenia", as well as "Changing public perception of corruption and sharing the best practices". The event was held with the support of the USAID Armenia Integrity Project.