The newsletter of the Armenian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF ANP) is published within the framework of “Enhancing CSF Armenian National Platform Contribution to the EU-Armenia Cooperation” Project (2019-2020) through a re-granting by the CSF Steering Committee Secretariat. The Project is financed by the European Commission.
The website of the Armenian National Platform (ANP) of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum is created in the frames of the project “Strengthening Capacities of the National Platforms of the EaP Civil Society Forum” (2013-2015) implemented in partnership with the Regional Environmental Center (REC) in Moldova and funded by the European Commission.
The content of the website is currently based on the weekly newsletter of the ANP, published by the Secretariat of the Armenian National Platform. The newsletter has been issued since March 2010 and has been mostly dedicated to the progress of the Eastern Partnership initiative, issues related to the coverage of EU-Armenia relations and civil society participation in the processes.
In 2010 -2013 the publication was supported by Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Eurasia Partnership Foundation and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
ARMENIAN NATIONAL PLATFORM OF THE EAP CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM
General Information
The establishment of the Armenian National Platform was initiated by an Initiative Group involving the delegates to the first Civil Society Forum in 2009. The Group set out a working plan for the Platform and worked out the founding documents (regulations, selection procedure for new members, concept of the Platform, etc.). The founding meeting of the platform took place in June 2010. As of May 2019 there are more than 260 CSOs registered as members of the CSF Armenian National Platform.
The activities of the Armenian National Platform in the period of 2014-2015 centered on dissemination of information about developments in the EaP region, as well as its activities via the EaP Armenia Newsletter. ANP has negotiated with the EU delegation to Armenia on continuation of financial support to ANP Secretariat. The negotiations resulted in a 2 year support grant awarded to the Secretariat for technical support to the Platform.
As within each National Platform, in the Armenian National Platform as well Working Groups are organized to reflect the Working Group structure of the whole Forum in order to better follow and influence developments within each Working Group at the national level. There are 5 Working Groups:
WG 1: Democracy, human rights, good governance and stability;
WG2: Economic integration and convergence with EU policies;
WG 3: Environment, climate change and energy security;
WG 4: Contacts between people;
WG 5: Social and Labour Policies and Social Dialogue.
The ANP working groups:
– make and submit recommendations regarding their areas;
– cooperate with relevant CSF working groups;
– undertake other activities that promote reforms in their areas.
In 2016 at the ANP General Assembly the five working groups of the EaP CSF Armenian National Platform developed priorities for every sphere which were incorporated into one document and presented to the EU Delegation in Armenia and RA authorities. The key issues of this document were the following:
- Public discussions and awareness raising on the RA new Electoral code development consultations
- Contribution of the EaP CSF ANP to the the new EU-Armenia framework agreement negotiations
- Monitoring of implementation of Human Rights Strategy
- Development and submission of recommendations to Venice Commission, National Assembly, International Organizations and political parties
- Monitoring of EU support to Armenia in sphere of agriculture (ENPARD)
- ANP engagement in civil protection activities
- Follow up on developments around the NGO law
- Identification of issues existing in EU-Armenia economic cooperation and development of recommendations
On July 20, 2017 the ANP Secretariat in light of CEPA initialling launched a call for Policy Papers based on 11 selected Deliverables from “Eastern Partnership – 20 Deliverables for 2020” joint document to further use these papers for sectorial recommendations and make the voice of civil society heard in future negotiations. The final result is the collection of 11 policy papers entitled “Agenda for Dialogue”, which has already been disseminated among various stakeholders, including the EU Delegation to Armenia.
The Secretariat of the EaP CSF Armenian National Platform ensures effective working environment for the working groups, makes necessary arrangements for meeting venues, provides translation, dissemination, printing of all necessary materials, and resolves various communication issues.
The ANP Secretariat of the EaP CSF provides dissemination of information both within the ANP and throughout the society. This is implemented via coordination of the electronic communication of the ANP members, editing and translating ANP statements, circulating information important for ANP, as well as via development and dissemination of weekly issues of the ANP newsletter that covers wide range of topics related to the EU-Armenia relations.
The following outcomes of the Secretariat activities for 2016 are particularly noteworthy: maintenance and update of the CSF databases, engagement of the CSF Armenian National Platform in key processes in Armenia, a better presentation to the public of EaP and EU-Armenia related topics, improvement of the operation of the Working Groups, involvement of new organizations, enhancement of cooperation with other national platforms, the recent example of which was the EaP CSF Fact Finding Mission’s one-week activity in Armenia on Yerevan July events. In 2017 the ANP Secretariat continued its efforts directed at strengthening the capacity of the EaP CSF Armenian National Platform in light of the initialling of CEPA, civil society dialogue with Armenian authorities and effective implementation of the Eastern Partnership priorities in Armenia and promotion of the ANP to wider public. Particularly noteworthy are the ANP meeting with the RA Government representatives to discuss EU-Armenia Partnership Priorities 2017-2020, and dialogue with RA National Assembly two Standing Committees (RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and RA NA Standing Committee on European Integration) for further cooperation. In 2018 main activities of the ANP Secretariat were directed at the engagement in the development of a CEPA implementation Roadmap jointly with local and foreign colleagues. In October-November 2018 the ANP Secretariat in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft e.V. and funded by the Federal Foreign Office implemented “Forum German-Armenian Journalist Exchange” Project, aiming to enhance the cooperation between the journalistic communities and civil society of the two countries.
Since April 15, 2019 the ANP Secretariat has been operating within “Enhancing CSF Armenian National Platform Contribution to the EU-Armenia Cooperation” Project through a re-granting by the CSF Steering Committee Secretariat. The activities of the Secretariat and the CSF Armenian National Platform will be directed at a further enhancement of the meaningful engagement of civil society in the ongoing process related to the EU-Armenia relations and not only, in particular the monitoring of reforms implementation, advocacy for the European agenda, and setting as principal directions of the ANP activities the CEPA implementation Roadmap, the formation of EU-Armenia bilateral platform envisaged by CEPA and further promotion of 20 Deliverables for 2020 in the country through development of research, policy papers and recommendations.
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Արևելյան գործընկերության քաղաքացիական հասարակության ֆորումի Հայաստանի ազգային պլատֆորմի (ԱլԳ ՔՀՖ ՀԱՊ) տեղեկագիրը հրապարակվում է «Հզորացնելով ՔՀՖ Հայաստանի ազգային պլատֆորմի ներդրումը ԵՄ-Հայաստան համագործակցության մեջ» ծրագրի (2019-2020թթ․) շրջանակներում ԱլԳ Քաղաքացիական հասարակաության ֆորումի ղեկավար կոմիտեի քարտուղարության վերադրամաշնորհով։ Ծրագիրը ֆինանսավորվում է Եվրոպական Հանձնաժողովի կողմից։
ԱլԳ Քաղաքացիական հասարակության ֆորումի Հայաստանի ազգային պլատֆորմի կայքը ստեղծվել է «ԱլԳ ՔՀՖ Հայաստանի ազգային պլատֆորմի կարողությունների զարգացում» ծրագրի շրջանակներում (2013-2015թթ․), որն իրագործվել է Մոլդովայի Տարածաշրջանային բնապահպանական կենտրոնի (REC) հետ համագործակցությամբ և Եվրոպական հանձնաժողովի ֆինանսավորմամբ:
Կայքի բովանդակությունը ներկայումս հիմնված է ՀԱՊ շաբաթական տեղեկագրի վրա, որը հրապարակվում է Հայաստանի ազգային պլատֆորմի քարտուղարության կողմից: Տեղեկագիրը սկսել է հրապարակվել 2010-ի մարտից և հիմնականում անդրադարձել է Արևելյան գործընկերության առաջխաղացմանը, Հայաստան-Եվրամիություն հարաբերությունների ընթացքի լուսաբանմանը և քաղաքացիական հասարակության մասնակցայնությանը վերաբերող խնդիրներին:
2010-2013 թվականներին տեղեկագիրը հրապարակվել է Ֆրիդրիխ Էբերտ հիմնադրամի, Եվրասիա համագործակցություն հիմնադրամի և Շվեդիայի Միջազգային զարգացման համագործակցության գործակալության աջակցությամբ:
ՔՀՖ ՀԱՊ ՏԵՂԵԿԱԳԻՐ/CSF ANP NEWSLETTER 