OSCE discusses police reform, fight against corruption in Armenia

YEREVAN, 31 October 2013 – Police reforms, fight against corruption and building integrity and accountability in policing are the topics of a discussion organized in Yerevan today.

The aim of the roundtable meeting organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Armenian Police in co-operation with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF) is to share international practices related to police integrity with Armenian counterparts.

The event participants were presented with the Armenian version of the publication “Toolkit on Police Integrity” developed by DCAF and published with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. It focuses on the organizational impact of police corruption, as well as on values and ethics in police services.

“Corruption is a complex phenomenon and it is very important to tackle it at all levels and in all institutions, including the police,” said Ambassador Andrey Sorokin, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “We hope that the publication presented today will become a useful instrument for both police policy-makers and practitioners for addressing the corruption problem and instilling anti-corruption practices and values in their organization’s culture.”

Philipp Fluri, the Deputy Director of DCAF, added: “Transparency, accountability and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are the pillars on which the management of the justice and police sector needs to rest on. Decision-making mechanisms and police procedures need to reflect these principles”.

The event participants from Armenia discussed with DCAF experts the concepts of integrity and accountability in the police activities and also learned about the police reform process in South-East Europe.

The Armenian version of the publication can be found here https://www.osce.org/node/107599.