Deputy Speaker, UNDP Associate Administrator discuss parliamentary development and reforms

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hayk Konjoryan met on October 15 with United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu.

Konjoryan welcomed the delegation and expressed gratitude to the United Nations Development Programme for its longstanding, trusted, and constructive partnership with the parliament, according to a readout.

He noted that over the years, cooperation had developed into an important partnership that had contributed to strengthening the parliament’s institutional capacity, improving legislative processes, advancing digitalization, and introducing new mechanisms for transparency, accountability, and civic participation.

According to the Deputy Speaker, joint efforts had helped establish a solid foundation for building a modern, effective, and responsive parliament. He noted that the programs implemented had contributed to establishing a more comprehensive framework for institutional reforms. Hayk Konjoryan said that the priority now was to build on the achievements of previous phases and fully integrate the reforms already launched into the parliament’s day-to-day work.

The Deputy Speaker emphasized the commitment of the current legislature to advancing the parliamentary modernization agenda. He welcomed the launch of a new program focused on parliamentary development, describing it as a key opportunity to fully institutionalize and effectively implement reforms. Hayk Konjoryan said that the success of the partnership depended on shared responsibility. He emphasized that a shared vision and strong partnership could help improve operational efficiency and increase the contribution to the development of democratic governance.

Thanking his hosts for the warm reception, UN Under-Secretary-General Haoliang Xu noted that, since his last visit to Armenia, he had witnessed the growth of the Armenian economy since independence. He said that the effectiveness of public institutions directly affected citizens’ quality of life and standard of living, which he identified as one of the Armenian government’s key objectives. Haoliang Xu emphasized the importance of ensuring the continuity of cooperation and further expanding it.

The meeting was also attended by Davit Hambaryan, Chief of Staff and Secretary General of the Parliament; Artur Martirosyan, First Deputy Chief of Staff; Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia; Konstantin Sokulskiy, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia; Vahan Asatryan, Head of the Democratic Governance Portfolio at the UNDP Armenia Country Office; and Ruzanna Hayrapetyan, Head of the Parliamentary Development (FORSETI) and Electoral Systems Management (ARTEMIS) projects.

At the end of the meeting, the parties exchanged the memorandum of understanding between UNDP and the Armenian parliament on cooperation in parliamentary development during the ninth convocation of the legislature (2026-2031).

UNDP’s Fostering Responsiveness, Effectiveness, Transparency, and Inclusiveness of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia project is being implemented with the support of the governments of Sweden, Canada, and Norway, and the Armenian parliament.