ArmenPress
Feb 23 2005
UNDP SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO BUILD AN INFORMATION SOCIETY IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS: The Office of the Minister for
Coordination of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure
Operations of the Republic of Armenia and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) launched the Support to Information
Society and Democratic Governance program. A press release from UNDP
Armenia Office said Minister Hovik Abrahamyan and UN Resident
Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Lise Grande signed a
document marking the official start of the program.
The aim of the program is to promote participatory policymaking by
establishing interactive e-governance systems countrywide and helping
to lay the ground for an information society; fostering civil society
monitoring of the implementation of the National Strategy on
Anti-Corruption and promoting private sector involvement in
anti-corruption initiatives; and introducing legislative and policy
frameworks for lobbying and promoting lobbying practices among the
Parliament, private sector, and civil society.
Under the first component of this program, an Information Society
Strategy will be developed. In addition, the e-Governance System for
Territorial Administration created by UNDP will be expanded to cover
several towns and large villages, bringing e-governance technologies
and online public services closer to the community level. Under the
second component, the unique participatory methodology developed by
UNDP during 2004 will be used by civil society networks to monitor
anti-corruption initiatives in the health and education sectors.
Appropriate legislation on lobbying will also be developed and
international lobbying practices will be introduced.
Lise Grande noted in her speech: “Through this innovative program,
ordinary citizens, including people in remote rural areas, will be
able to actively participate in public affairs through e-systems and
e-services. Under the leadership of the Government, we will also be
supporting efforts to develop legislation on lobbying, which will
help to formalize relations between the private and public sectors.”
Hovik Abrahamyan announced that 70 large rural communities will
receive technical assistance from UNDP. As part of its on-going
program with the Ministry aimed at supporting fiscal
decentralization, UNDP will provide computer equipment for these
communities as well as training for municipal finance officers.
The two-year project is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation (SDC), and UNDP’s Democratic Governance
Thematic Trust Fund.