Important operational reforms implemented in cooperation with Parliament presented within the framework of the Parliament Support Project

On January 17, the event Advancing Results: Strengthening Refugees and Their Host Communities was held, which was organized within the framework of the Resilience for All project, funded by the Government of Norway and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

According to a press release issued by the press service of the Parliament, the Vice President of the Armenian National Assembly Hakob Arshakyan welcomed the participants of the event. The National Assembly Vice President noted that the UNDP Parliament Support Project (PSP) as a co-implementer and responsible for the Resilience for All initiative, implemented in cooperation with the RA National Assembly and funded by the governments of Norway, Sweden and the RA National Assembly.

“The implementation of the “Fostering Responsiveness, Efficiency, Transparency and Inclusiveness of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia (FORSETI) project has contributed to increasing the efficiency of the National Assembly’s governance, as well as parliamentary engagement and, in particular, a number of legislative and operational initiatives aimed at improving the lives and integration of those with refugee status. I emphasize the involvement of the National Assembly Standing Committees, together with the representatives of affected communities, civil society, and international organizations, within the framework of the program. This engagement allows for the development of policies that are not only responsive, but also impartial and contribute to the dignified integration of persons with refugee status into host communities,” Arshakyan underscored.

At the end of his speech he thanked the partners of the UNDP, the governments of Norway, Sweden, the Government of Armenia and all engaged partners, also the representatives of marzes/provinces, communities for showing permanent support to the improvement processes of the National Assembly.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway to Armenia Bergljot Hovland in her welcoming speech assured that they are committed to support Armenia in terms of strengthening the resilience and stability, particularly, taking into consideration the challenges that Armenia faced in the issue of refugees in recent period.

The UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili stated that during 2025-2026 the UNDP will continue providing support to the Government, creating economic opportunities and ensuring the refugees’ full-fledged integration in new communities.

In his speech, the RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General Davit Arakelyan spoke about the most important operational changes implemented in cooperation with the RA National Assembly within the framework of the Parliament Support Project.

Regarding the importance of the “Fostering Responsiveness, Efficiency, Transparency and Inclusiveness of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia (FORSETI) project launched at the beginning of 2024, Davit Arakelyan documented that it is the logical continuation of the five-year project Modern Parliament for a Modern Armenia, which recorded very significant results and institutional indicators and was implemented jointly with the UNDP.

“The project, launched in 2024, was important not only in terms of continuing cooperation, but also in terms of attracting donors: the governments of Norway and Sweden were co-sponsors of the project. For the first time in the history of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Staff also acted as a co-sponsor, signaling its determination and commitment to institutional reforms. The Government of Canada also joined the project at the end of December last year, which is an important indicator of the project’s success,” the NA Chief of Staff underlined.

Regarding the projects implemented with the assistance of the Norwegian Government within the framework of the Parliament Support Project, David Arakelyan touched upon several important achievements. Among them are: The development of the National Assembly’s strategic vision: the launch of work on the development of a multi-year action plan for the National Assembly and the National Assembly Staff from 2024, a 360-degree analysis of 32 laws and by-laws, the development of a long-term strategic vision for the National Assembly and the National Assembly Staff based on comprehensive research, which is planned to be completed and adopted this year as an internal document. According to Davit Arakelyan, numerous professional trainings have been conducted: The deputies of the National Assembly and the staff representatives have become skilled in responding to the risks of external influences and words, disinformation, and hate speech. Women’s and social inclusion projects are currently being developed, with the aim of introducing gender-sensitive programs that address the needs of women and refugees. Innovative tools have been introduced: the e-Parliament and e-Voting systems are being tested, and training on the Data Visualization Power BI toolkit is being implemented for the Staff of the National Assembly in collaboration with the USAID programme.

Davit Arakelyan presented data on a number of implemented educational programmes. The Youth Parliament initiative was implemented jointly with the 2022 and 2023 graduates of the National Assembly’s Summer School programme. 35 young people were involved in simulations of legislative processes and presented their legislative initiatives to the 2024 Summer School graduates. The initiatives that received the most votes were submitted for debate at the session of the relevant Head Committee of the National Assembly. As a result, it was decided to also involve authorized state bodies to revise the youth initiative and initiate further debate of the bill.

It was noted that within the framework of the programme, a cognitive visit of 47 refugee children to the National Assembly was organized. The UNDP partners also implemented a process of identifying children’s needs, providing educational training programmes.

“Important operational reforms have been implemented within the framework of the Parliament Support Project, which contribute to public participation, transparency and inclusiveness. These changes lay the foundation for long-term developments,” the RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General stated.

At the end of his speech, Davit Arakelyan assured that cooperation with the UNDP and donor countries supporting the project within the framework of capacity development of the National Assembly Staff will be continuous and effective.

The Government sector officials also presented the steps being taken to improve access to justice for refugees and vulnerable groups, strengthen community resilience and digitalize refugee address systems, and effectively respond to the needs of refugees and host communities.