OSCE Office helps Armenian Parliament create efficient oversight of armed forces

YEREVAN, 17 October 2008 - The OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Parliamentary Committee on defence, national security and international affairs signed a memorandum of understanding today to promote effective parliamentary oversight of the armed forces.

The OSCE Office and the Parliamentary Committee will co-operate to enforce democratic control over the security sector. The OSCE will organize seminars on the Organization's code of conduct and training courses on security sector oversight tools. This will help parliamentarians monitor the improvement of the armed forces, and identify the gaps and needs for further legislative initiatives. A council of NGO and security sector institution representatives will be established to support the civil initiatives.

"By signing this agreement with the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs the OSCE is expressing its profound will to assist Armenia in exerting effective parliamentary oversight over the armed forces," said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office. "Transparency, accountability and division of powers are the cornerstones of good governance."

Arthur Aghabekyan, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee, added: "Co-operation with the OSCE on parliamentary oversight of the armed forces will help to advance the reform of the armed forces."

The OSCE Office and the Armenian Human Rights Defender's Office (Ombudsman) have also signed an agreement to provide expert assistance to the Ombudsman's office in monitoring the application of the disciplinary sanctions in the army and analyzing the existing legislation in this area.