Political Risk:
Moderate
Score:
58/100
Defence and Security Policy and Policy Transparency
Q1
58/100
Is there formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy?
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Article 106 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia [1] outlines the establishment of the standing committees at the National Assembly to perform…
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The separation of powers provided by the Constitution is duly in place to prevent any coercive measures towards the legislative. In addition to the…
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Clause 8 of Article 15 of the Law on Defence [1] states that the armed forces should, by all means, stay neutral in political…
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Q2
21/100
Does the country have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar such organisations) to exercise oversight?
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Chapter 5 of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly is dedicated to the standing committees of the parliament. Articles 10-15 refer to…
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During the former government’s time in power, only five MPs had extensive experience in the field of defence and security in the Standing Committee…
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All major defence and security documents pass through hearings and approval/disapproval at the National Assembly. Thus, the National Security Strategy, that was adopted in…
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The Constitution of Armenia provides more oversight of the National Assembly (NA) over the executive (Articles 110 and 111 refer to the oversight over…
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Standing Committees do not investigate cases. They may commission an investigation that is conducted by the Audit Chamber. The Law on Audit Chamber details…
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The Committee is in place, but there is no data backing up the incorporation of the recommendations into the activities of ministries.
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Q3
75/100
Is the country’s national defence policy or national security strategy debated and publicly available?
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The new National Security Strategy has been adopted in July 2020. As part of the development of the new strategy, the Security Council met…
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On July 26, 2019, the National Security Secretary held a press conference, stressing the importance of “multifunctional discussions of professional, expert, civil, political and…
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After April 2016, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the government was under heavy pressure to review and revisit its defence strategy. The allegations…
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The public can access information on proposed law drafts and initiatives through a common portal [1]. This portal allows the public to engage in…
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Q4
75/100
Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption?
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The Ministry of Defence of Armenia (MoD) provides a comprehensive Concept on Public Awareness stressing the importance and outlining the scope of public consultations…
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The Law on NGOs, which was introduced in 2017, regulates the activities of CSOs and provides state guarantees for their operations. Article 9 of…
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Public officials would not work specifically with CSOs on corruption issues, but they would not avoid working and communicating with CSOs and discuss corruption…
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Q5
63/100
Has the country signed up to the following international anti-corruption instruments: UNCAC and the OECD Convention?
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Article 5 of the Constitution of Armenia [1] states that generally accepted rules of international law and international conventions, once they have been ratified…
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The Mechanisms for the Review of Implementation of the Convention have been established to assists states in implementing the convention. A comprehensive self-assessment and…
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Q6
75/100
Is there evidence of regular, active public debate on issues of defence? If yes, does the government participate in this debate?
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Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center periodically brings defence-related issues to public attention. A penal of experts gather to discuss issues within the defence sector and…
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The government periodically organizes public debates and discussions on defence-related issues. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) initiated a range of discussions to present new…
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Q7
88/100
Does the country have an openly stated and effectively implemented anti-corruption policy for the defence sector?
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After the revolution, in 2019 the Government adopted a new Anticorruption Strategy and Its Implementation Plan for 2019-2022. [1] Tհese documents do not contain…
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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) Human Rights and Integrity Center has been established to build integrity and address corruptions issues within the ministry.[1] Through…
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Q8
75/100
Are there independent, well-resourced, and effective institutions within defence and security tasked with building integrity and countering corruption?
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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) Human Rights and Integrity Centre was established to ensure human rights and strengthening integrity (anti-corruption behaviour inclusive) within the…
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The Human Rights and Integrity Centre of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Republic of Armenia has been operating since 2015. It is…
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The Human Rights and Integrity Centre addresses operational evaluation concerning the human right abuses in the defence sector, it may provide methodological intervention and…
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Q9
NS/100
Does the public trust the institutions of defence and security to tackle the issue of bribery and corruption in their establishments?
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This indicator is not assigned a score in the GDI. There has traditionally been a very high rate of trust towards the military in…
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Q10
75/100
Are there regular assessments of the areas of greatest corruption risk for ministry and armed forces personnel, and are the findings used as inputs to the anti-corruption policy?
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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) Human Rights and Integrity Centre was established to ensure human rights and strengthening integrity (anti-corruption behaviour inclusive) within MoD.…
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There is not enough evidence to score this indicator. During the management process, the Internal Audit Department of the MoD performs risk management following…
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There is not enough evidence to score this indicator. Corruption risk analysis conducted by the Human Rights and Integrity Centre seems to be used…
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Defence Budgets
Q11
33/100
Does the country have a process for acquisition planning that involves clear oversight, and is it publicly available?
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The basis for the procurement planning process is the Development Plan of the Armed Forces for 2019-2024 approved by the long-term program and the…
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The search did not identify any source for public awareness of acquisition planning. The main acquisition bulletin, www. procurement.am, provides data on acquisition plans…
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Both the Audit Chamber and the State Supervision Service can exercise control over the observance of the procedures operating in the RA Ministry of…
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Q12
88/100
Is the defence budget transparent, showing key items of expenditure? And it is provided to the legislature in a timely fashion?
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The parliament approves the general budget submitted by the government. The defence budget makes an integral part of the general budget and undergoes the…
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The government’s Rules of Procedure and the Law on Budgetary System requires the government to submit the budgets for the parliament’s approval at least…
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Q13
63/100
Is there a legislative committee (or other appropriate body) responsible for defence budget scrutiny and analysis in an effective way?
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There is a rather well-resourced and established Standing Committee at the National Assembly that deals with the defence and security-related issues, including budget discussions…
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The Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs has previously had the right to come up with suggestions and revisions on the…
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Q14
33/100
Is the approved defence budget made publicly available? In practice, can citizens, civil society, and the media obtain detailed information on the defence budget?
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The defence budget makes an integral part of the general budget and undergoes the same procedure as the general budget. Once the budget is…
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Though the majority of defence budget items are not disclosed to the public, there are mechanisms provided by law to oversee the spending. Thus,…
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The only source for this sub-question is a brief explanation by the Interviewee 5 who submitted a request for quarterly budget implementation and got…
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Q15
67/100
Are sources of defence income other than from central government allocation (from equipment sales or property disposal, for example) published and scrutinised?
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Some of the sources other than from central budget are being made transparent and accountable through different regulations. In 26 April 2018, the Government…
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The defence budget of the Republic of Armenia is compiled following Article 21, clause 1 of the Law on the Budgetary System of the…
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Interviewee 5 agreed that the budget issues are within the focus of the CSOs and media, but efforts are not enough to thoroughly scrutinize…
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Q16
50/100
Is there an effective internal audit process for defence ministry expenditure (that is, for example, transparent, conducted by appropriately skilled individuals, and subject to parliamentary oversight)?
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The Internal Audit Department is an independent separate entity within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that ensures the implementation of audit in all divisions…
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The internal audit reports are not submitted to any other institution for oversight of sensitive issues. The Parliament gets the executive summaries at the…
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Legally, the Audit Chamber and Authorized Body oversee the MoD Internal Audit activities [1]. The Internal Audit Department was reviewed by the then Control…
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The MoD regularly addresses the findings of the internal audit through overseeing the activity reports by those divisions where the audit was conducted. The…
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Q17
81/100
Is there effective and transparent external auditing of military defence expenditure?
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The Audit Chamber and Authorized Body are authorized to conduct an audit in all state agencies that are financed through the state budget. In…
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In carrying out its functions, according to the Law on the Audit Chamber, the Audit Chamber shall be independent of the bodies and organizations…
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Perhaps because of the changes happening in regards the switching from the oversight to the auditing functions (the Control Chamber became the Audit Chamber…
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The ministry addresses the findings of the external audit, as they have to report back on the measure and activities undertaken to eliminate the…
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Nexus of Defence and National Assets
Q18
67/100
Is there evidence that the country’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation and, if so, are these interests publicly stated and subject to scrutiny?
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Currently, there is no evidence that Armenia’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation [1].…
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Currently, there is no evidence that Armenia’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation [1].…
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There is no evidence that individual defence personnel have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation [1]. According…
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This indicator has been scored Not Applicable. There is no evidence that Armenia’s defence institutions or personnel have controlling or financial interests in businesses…
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This indicator has been scored Not Applicable. There is no evidence that Armenia’s defence institutions or personnel have controlling or financial interests in businesses…
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Organised Crime
Q19
63/100
Is there evidence, for example through media investigations or prosecution reports, of a penetration of organised crime into the defence and security sector? If no, is there evidence that the government is alert and prepared for this risk?
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The likelihood that organized crime penetrates the defence sector is very low. At the time the armed forces developed in Armenia in the late…
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The government actively looks for signs of criminal behaviour in the defence and security sector. This sphere is sensitive, and the authorizations have always…
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Q20
75/100
Is there policing to investigate corruption and organised crime within the defence services and is there evidence of the effectiveness of this policing?
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Generally, the Police of the Republic of Armenia is authorized to combat organized crime in the country. Simultaneously, the Military Police (MP) of the…
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The Military Police is an agency within the MoD (Article 1 of the Law on Military Police) that operates through the state budget (Article…
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According to the procedures, the MP functions well and investigates cases under its scope [1]. However, the information is scarce to judge whether there…
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Control of Intelligence Services
Q21
25/100
Are the policies, administration, and budgets of the intelligence services subject to effective and independent oversight?
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Article 106 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia [1] outlines the establishment of the standing committees at the National Assembly to perform…
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The designated Standing Committee has the right to request classified information containing state, service and trade secret or any other secret provided by laws.…
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Q22
25/100
Are senior positions within the intelligence services filled on the basis of objective selection criteria, and are appointees subject to investigation of their suitability and prior conduct?
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The selection of the senior position of the intelligence service is regulated with a range of laws that outline the profile of an individual…
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There is not enough information to score this indicator. Due to the classified nature of the intelligence services, it is difficult to confirm or…
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There is not enough information to score this indicator. It is worth noring that no vetting process by an external body is anticipated by…
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Export Controls
Q23
50/100
Does the government have a well-scrutinised process for arms export decisions that aligns with Articles 7.1.iv, 11.5, and 15.6 of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)?
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Armenia is not a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty [1].
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This indicator has been marked Not Applicable because Armenia has not signed the ATT.
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Armenia is not a significant arms export country. However, whenever the opportunity presents itself, the issue is debated at the joint meeting of the…
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Lobbying in Defence
There is no regulation of lobbying activities in Armenia at all. [1]
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There is no regulation of lobbying activities in Armenia at all. [1]
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There is no regulation of lobbying activities in Armenia at all. [1]
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There is no regulation of lobbying activities in Armenia at all. [1]
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