OSCE assists in public opinion survey on corruption in Armenia

YEREVAN, 4 October 2002 - A major public opinion survey on corruption released this week in Armenia has found that the overwhelming majority of those polled believe that corruption remains a serious problem in the country.

The survey was initiated by the non-governmental organizations Centre for Regional Development/Transparency International Armenia, Civil Society Development Union and 'Development Network', with the support of the OSCE. The study contributes to actions taken by the Armenian Government to elaborate a national anti-corruption strategy. It establishes a baseline against which to measure future changes and provides an up-to-date picture of attitudes to corruption in Armenia.

"The work leading to this survey is extremely important, and the findings of the poll will be a useful tool for the Armenian Government, as well as civil society and international players", said Ambassador Roy Reeve, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, at a ceremony to release the survey. "The study provides a better picture of the level and impact of corruption throughout the country".

According to the survey, the overwhelming majority of respondents believe that corruption is a serious problem in Armenia. They did not relate its occurrence to the gaining of independence; most of them mentioned that it became an issue either before the formation of the USSR or during the Soviet period. Survey results demonstrated that 95 per cent of households, 97 per cent of businesses and 93 per cent of public officials thought that corruption in Armenia was mainly caused by the state authorities. As for the causes of corruption, all the groups referred to poor law enforcement and imperfect legislation and regulations.

The OSCE Office in Yerevan is co-ordinating an international task force to combat corruption in Armenia. The main objective of the group represented by World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, European Commission, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Council of Europe, and the British, German, French, US, Russian, Italian embassies is to assist the Government in working out a detailed strategy and its implementation in combating corruption in Armenia.

The main goal of the survey was to identify public perceptions of corruption. It was based on the questioning of 1,400 individuals, including 1,000 households, 200 businessmen and 200 public officials. The survey, which for the first time also targeted public officials as respondents, was conducted throughout the country. The survey received financial assistance by the British Government and USAID.

Copies of the survey are available in English and Armenian from the OSCE Office in Yerevan.