Wednesday, October 30 2019 17:06

ArmInfo.On October 30, a meeting of the "Open Government Partnership" (OGP) - Armenia working group was held in the Armenian government, during which the  implementation of the fourth OGP Action Plan in Armenia was  discussed.

According to the press service of the government, welcoming the  participants, the head of the office of the Prime Minister of  Armenia, the head of the OGP working group Eduard Aghajanyan noted  that in conditions of new economic challenges the executive branch  faces serious task of developing modern decision-making models based  on the active participation of civil society in public administration  and the use of modern mechanisms of public control.

"It is no secret that the Armenian government is extremely interested  in finding new and more effective forms of cooperation between the  government and civil society. I am pleased to note that cooperation  within the framework of the Open Government Partnership has become a  tradition and reality. This is a very important fact, because without  inclusive processes it is impossible to ensure the reform process in  the country, " Aghajanyan said.

OGP Executive Director Sanjay Pradhan, emphasizing the importance of  such meetings in Armenia, noted that in 79 OGP member states Armenia  is considered a vivid example of democracy. "The non-violent, velvet  revolution in Armenia was a great incentive for citizens who wanted  to make changes in the country," Sanjay Pradhan noted. According to  him, the next step for Armenia should be to increase citizens'  confidence in the government, which can contribute to real economic  and legal reforms in the country.  According to the general director  of the OGP, Armenia is an exemplary partner in fulfilling obligations  to the structure, but it is equally important to expand the scope of  obligations outlined in the following action plan. Sanjay Pradhan  also expressed readiness to help Armenia in conducting judicial,  anti-corruption and economic reforms.

During the meeting, representatives of government bodies presented  the process of fulfilling the OGP obligations for 2018-2020. The  fourth action plan includes 11 obligations: official declaration of  open data, transparency and accountability of grants of the state  budget of the Republic of Armenia, introduction of the institution of  open owners, public register, modernization of community websites. At  the local level, it is envisaged to provide access to a unified  information system for water resources, to ensure the openness of the  healthcare system, online registration for treatment and diagnostics  within the framework of state orders, etc.

Summing up the meeting, Eduard Aghajanyan noted that the proposals  received during the discussions will be discussed. "The Republic of  Armenia timely fulfills its obligations, and we certainly must  continue the process of fulfilling our further obligations in the  same way. It is important for us to fully implement the OGP agenda,  in particular, at the stage of such important for the country reform,  "said the head of the prime minister's office.

Eduard Aghajanyan attached particular importance to strengthening  cooperation between citizens and the state, which should be brought  to the institutional level. ''Taking this opportunity, I would like  to ask our partners from civil society and international partner  organizations to support the introduction of new tools and  technologies. We hope that the experience of Armenia will be  exemplary, at least for the countries of our region, and the Armenian  government will make every effort to complete the reforms'', he said.

It was also noted that within the framework of this partnership, a  Memorandum was signed yesterday between the Ministry of Justice of  the Republic of Armenia and the International Initiative of Real  Owners.  The Open Government Partnership Initiative was created in  2011 by the governments of 8 countries - the USA, Brazil, Indonesia,  Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa and the United Kingdom.  The OGP Initiative is now collaborating with more than 75 governments  around the world. Each participating country should formulate its  National Plan of Action for a biennium in accordance with the rules  established by the Coordinating Council. Armenia has been a  participant in the process since 2012.