Efforts to elaborate a new strategy for police reforms kickstarted with a discussion with civil society organizations

On 22 December 2023, under the “Integrity of Justice Reforms” project, the Democracy Development Foundation and the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office organized a Workshop for the Development of the Republic of Armenia Police New Reform Strategy and 2024-2026 Action Plan.

The discussion was attended by Arpine Sargsyan, Deputy Interior Minister, advocates, and representatives of the Interior Ministry, the Office of the Human Rights Defender, and civil society organizations.

The aim of the workshop was to raise the problems and challenges related to police reforms in the Republic of Armenia, to elaborate possible solutions, and to develop recommendations that will serve as a basis for developing the Republic of Armenia Police New Reform Strategy and 2024-2026 Action Plan.

Democracy Development Foundation’s senior program officer Tatevik Khachatryan stated at the outset of the workshop that the development of a new reform strategy for the Police is a good opportunity for raising a number of issues related to human rights in this field and to propose solutions.

“The participation of civil society organizations in the development of the strategy is important for taking stock of the problems in this field and presenting recommendations to the Interior Ministry,” said Khachatryan.

Deputy Interior Minister Sargsyan noted that this is “an unprecedented format for police reforms, and these types of discussions will essentially enable us to identify the problems and various concerns, stock of which will be taken, and we will proceed accordingly, with a focus on identifying their solutions.”

She added that the development process of the new strategy will be more inclusive, incorporating recommendations from not only state bodies, but also civil society organizations. Turning to issues of safeguarding integrity within the police system, as well as matters of public accountability and oversight, the Deputy Interior Minister noted that they need to be backed by underlying frameworks that will make the new strategy predictable for everyone.

In the second half of the discussion, the participants worked in six breakout groups, each focusing on a specific set of topics, with one representative of the Interior Ministry in each breakout group, where they discussed issues related to improving the Patrol Service, checking integrity in the Police, reviewing the accountability and oversight mechanisms, safeguarding the right to be free from torture and ill-treatment, protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, and improving the relationship between police officers and citizens.

The civil society organizations that attended the workshop will consolidate the breakout groups’ results and present to the Ministry the identified issues and recommended solutions. As a result of the workshop, it was agreed that civil society organizations will submit comprehensive and complex recommendations to the Ministry, which, to the extent possible, will be addressed in the context of the new police strategy, the related 2024-2026 Action Plan, and other planned reforms.

Information about the “Integrity of Justice Reforms” project