Intervention by Armenia at the HRC Intersessional panel discussion on challenges and good practices in the prevention of corruption, and the impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

15 February, 2022

15 February 2022

HRC Intersessional panel discussion on challenges and good practices in the prevention of corruption, and the impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Delivered by Zoya Stepanyan, First Secretary

Mr Chair,

Armenia thanks honorable speakers for their opening remarks.

We also extend our appreciation for putting together excellent panel and creating a space to reflect on the issue of corruption from national, multilateral and civil society perspectives.

Prevention and fight against corruption, higher levels of accountability of public institutions have been at the core of reform policies in Armenia in the recent years. We are proud to note that our efforts in this area garnered concrete results such as sharp rise (by 11 times) in recovery of illicit assets as well as in criminal proceedings on corruption related cases. Armenia also undertook comprehensive revision of institutional framework, establishing oversight structure (Corruption Prevention Commission), a law enforcement body (Anti-Corruption Committee) and a judicial body (Anti-Corruption Court). Armenia is also among the 25 countries that registered significant improvement according to the Transparency International’s Corruption perception index.

Mr. Chair,

UN Convention against Corruption is almost universally ratified international instrument. Yet, today we witness how some countries at the policy level utilize bribery, trans-national money laundering and international corruption schemes to cover up not only widespread domestic human rights abuses, fraudulent elections and regular crack downs on the remnants of civil society and media, but also military aggression, gross violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes. “Caviar diplomacy” is the term internationally used to describe decades long corrupt conduct of unprecedented scale and prevalence by one state. It discredited state officials, members of the parliament, representatives of renowned international and regional organisations, academic circles, think tanks. This policy has a single source and a single aim – to undermine the human rights and justice – by suppressing voices of discontent, by concealing most serious crimes and human rights abuses, by reinventing the history of our region.

We believe that the Human Rights Council and UN human rights machinery have a duty and the mandate to exercise greater scrutiny against corrupt practices and the wrongdoers.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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