Armenia

Key priorities to improve the civil society environment:

1. The Ministry of Finance defines ‘grant’ in line with international best practices and in consultation with CSOs and ensures that grant projects or other non-profit activities are not treated as economic activities;  
2. Law enforcement bodies properly investigate and transparently handle cases of police abuse during assemblies, applying relevant sanctions where appropriate; and that political leaders refrain from assessment of police actions before official investigation results are available;  
3. The National Assembly establishes mechanisms for mandatory public consultation on draft legislation produced by parliament members and ensures CSO engagement both at the early stages of legal drafts and during the final revisions (including through engagement in Standing Committees);
4. The National Assembly makes the necessary legislative changes to expand CSOs’ rights to represent public interests in court  within the scope of their goals and reduces excessive requirements and bureaucratic procedures to ensure this right can be exercised in practice;  
5. The government develops the legislative framework on surveillance in line with international law and in consultation with CSOs, and ensures its effective implementation with transparent and accountable measures for non-compliance;  
6. The state provides adequate protection for CSOs by adopting anti-discrimination laws and establishing an anti-discrimination body, taking legislative and practical measures against SLAPPs in line with the Council of Europe’s April 2024 recommendations, issuing public statements supporting CSOs targeted by the third parties, and ensuring proper and timely investigation of attacks against CSOs and activists; and  
7. The government (particularly the Ministry of Finance) and the National Assembly create a more favourable tax environment to improve CSOs’ possibilities to attract funding and in-kind support from diverse sources, including individual and business donations and direct entrepreneurial activities. 

Ongoing actions - Advancing public participation:

Two actions are currently being pursued in Armenia: 

1. Transparency International Anticorruption Center advocates to increase legal avenues for public participation in the early stages of policymaking.
2. Law Development & Protection Foundation (LDPF) advocates to expand the Actio Popularis principle to allow CSOs to represent public interest in court.  

Such actions can significantly improve participation, and thus also the quality of policymaking in Armenia, and serve as inspiration for actions in other countries. These activities received additional financial support from the CSO Meter Action Pooled Fund. 

Past achievements:  

CSO Meter monitoring and recommendations have already delivered the following results:

• Progressive law on volunteering (2023): CSOs, including CSO Meter core partner, Transparency International Anticorruption Center (TIAC) successfully blocked restrictive provisions in different draft versions of the law. The law adopted integrates CSO Meter recommendations to protect and encourage volunteerism. This means that CSOs can harness the power of volunteer work to achieve their missions and volunteers can also enjoy essential protections of their rights.  

• Strengthening public participation for better policies (2023-2024): The government incorporated CSO Meter Recommendations on decision-making participation into the 2023 amendments to the Public Administration Reform strategy, adding a new fifth pillar on participatory governance. This pillar outlines steps to strengthen public participation, including creating a monitoring mechanism and advancing online and offline participatory tools. Based on the amended PAR strategy and Open Government Partnership Action Plan 2022-2024, a dedicated department at the Office of the Prime Minister was created, to institutionalise open government principles and support civil society development. Drawing on comparative good practices on the functions and responsibilities of similar departments in other countries identified by TIAC and ECNL, the department aims to ensure participation of CSOs in decision making. This will ultimately unlock access to expertise and localised knowledge, leading to more informed policies and better solutions.  

• Transparent rules for state funding for CSOs introduced (2019-2021): The majority of TIAC suggestions were integrated into the procedure of allocating state grants and subsidies to legal entities. These rules ensure transparency and accountability, particularly in the selection process and regarding conflict of interest and the tasks of the grant selection committee. TIAC, consulting with other CSOs, provided expertise to the Ministry of Finance, helping set up standardised grant documentation (templates, announcements) and effective use of the new electronic platform.  These changes support transparent access to public funding for civil society.

• Proportionate reporting rules for CSOs ensured (2018-2020): TIAC, alongside other CSOs and with ECNL’s support, successfully advocated for reporting rules for CSOs in Armenia that align with international standards. Initial legislative proposals of the government required public organisations and foundations to disclose sensitive details like donor names, board members, staff, and volunteers. Thanks to the efforts of CSOs, the final law amendments ensure annual reporting that promotes transparency without compromising privacy or creating unnecessary burdens. This reform strengthens CSO accountability while safeguarding the space for civil society to operate freely and effectively. 

Country context and important trends relevant to the civil society environment:

In 2024, Armenia continued to navigate significant political and social developments shaped by the aftermath of the war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2020 with the further seizure of Artsakh territory by Azerbaijan and ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population in 2023.  

Armenia’s peace negotiations with Azerbaijan, border issues, and the rights of Artsakh people remained central public concerns. CSOs continued their work to support Artsakh families and advocate for their rights at the international level. In spring 2024, the Tavush for the Homeland movement emerged in response to border delimitation efforts, drawing nationwide protests demanding the government’s resignation. While in many cases there was no intervention by the police against the protests, numerous instances of the unlawful detention, disproportionate and brutal treatment of protesters, as well as the alleged illegal use of stun grenades, were reported by local and international CSOs. These issues have raised further concerns on the lack of effective accountability for law enforcement abuses.  

In May 2024, Armenia experienced severe flooding due to unprecedented heavy rainfall, causing significant infrastructure damage and economic losses across the Tavush and Lori provinces. Many CSOs mobilised resources to provide emergency relief, including food, clean water, clothing, and medical supplies to flood-affected families.  

Along with security and emergency issues, Armenia has also faced challenges in internal governance and external relations. Nations in Transit 2024 report showed a decline in Armenia’s Democracy Score due to the executive’s consolidation of power, impeachment of opposition mayors, and the lack of transparency in the ruling party’s finances. In external relations, the government sought to a balance between Russia and the West. In February 2024, the Armenian prime minister declared that Armenia had frozen its membership of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). Further, the ruling party discussed the possibility of applying for EU membership, while a group of political parties launched a petition to hold a referendum on joining the EU.  

Despite these political and social challenges, the Armenian economy is growing. The government has taken measures to maximise tax revenues through universal income and an asset declaration system and tighter tax rules. The upcoming tax changes affecting legal service providers are expected to increase fees and reduce access to affordable legal aid, driving more people to seek free support from human rights CSOs. 

Video story

Why was collaboration through the CSO Meter essential to create more transparent state funding procedures? Find out more from Anush Hakobyan, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center (Armenia):