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ARMENIA MUST NOT BE DIVIDED INTO RICH CAPITAL AND POOR REGIONS

Interview of UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Lise Grande to ARMINFO News Agency.

Q: Among the main programmes implemented by the U.N. in Armenia, the problem of public integration and settlement of refugees occupies a special place. What is your assessment of the programme's implementation? How effective is the cooperation with the state structures in the sphere?

A: The U.N. Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been engaged in the problem of refugees since 1992. There were already 360,000 refugees in the country then. In the last 11 years, we have carried out rather an active work in this direction and the right approaches were found to partly solve the refugee issue in the country. As a result of the joint work with the country's Government and NGOs, impressive results were reached, and today, according to the assessment of international structures, the problem of refugees is not so acute in Armenia as it was a decade ago. In this context, successful integration and naturalization of refugees was of great importance. Since 1999, over 55,000 refugees have been naturalized in Armenia. These are not the people not having their own state any more: they fully use their rights as citizens of Armenia. It is a very good and progressive approach, but it touches upon the legal aspect of the problem only. While we also must solve the economic and social aspects of the problem, which are not less important, as refugees are one of the main parts of the country's population living below the poverty level. Majority of them are old and disabled people who cannot take care of themselves. It means that the state is responsible for their social welfare. Another problem is provision of housing conditions to refugees. Since 1999, due to UNHCR's support, over 3,200 refugee families were given permanent shelter in Armenia. Some 12,000 refugee families, however, still live in temporary shelters, hostels and resort houses. In terms of solving the refugee problem I am an optimist, and this optimism is strengthened by the position of the country's leadership. During my recent meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, Mr. President noted that the refugee issue is a highest priority for the country's leadership who sees its solution in close cooperation with the UN System in Armenia. The new Speaker of the Armenian Parliament also considers this problem as one of the most important ones. A Council for Refugees has been established at the National Assembly of new convocation to involve the maximum number of state structures and departments, as well as other major stakeholders, into its solution.

It is important that when solving the problem of refugees' settlement, we try to focus not only on the capital, but also on the regions. If seeking the solution to this problem in the light of the struggle against poverty and focusing just on Yerevan, we shall get an unfavourable picture, where, speaking figuratively, two countries - a rich and dynamically developing capital and poor regions - exist within one country. This is exactly the reason why UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia strives to support economic development in Armenia and improve the socio-economic level of the regions. And one of the initiatives in this direction was the Public-Private Partnership launched at the Armenia-Diaspora First Economic Forum. In the framework of this programme, every region of Armenia has elaborated a specific project proposal on improvement of the socio-economic conditions of local communities. In our turn, we shall inform representatives of the local private sector and that of the Diaspora about these project proposals, hereby trying to maximally contribute to their implementation.

Q: How do the UN and its structures operating in Armenia coordinate their activities with other international organisations and programmes to avoid waste of funds? Do you think that it would be more expedient to combine the efforts of all the interested organisations in line with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)?

A: We work in close interaction with the Armenian Government. At the same time, undoubtedly, all the international organisations and structures cooperate to prevent duplication of the implemented programmes and waste of funds. In the framework of PRSP, priorities have been determined, as well as specific measures were worked out. In addition to strategic systematisation of the programme implementation, there is an operational systematisation of all the technical tasks to combine efforts for the achievement of maximum results. The Government also works out specific measures to coordinate the work of the international organisations.

Q:It is a common knowledge that in countries where corruption is at a high level, it is very difficult to speak about poverty reduction. What is your opinion about this problem?

A: The international experience suggests two scenarios of struggle against corruption. One of them presumes implementation of a large-scale strategy encompassing all the aspects of the problem, as it embraces all the sections of the public. On the other hand, in a number of states the problem of corruption is solved more purposefully and specifically. In such a way we intend to solve this problem in Armenia, i.e. through a specific work in the most corrupted spheres. From the point of view of international organisations, including the UN, this approach is more effective. In Armenia it, first of all, will address corruption in the taxation and customs structures, in the judicial sphere, in the areas of civic service, local self-government, and the election system. In this respect, we have launched an active cooperation with the Armenian Government and international organisations, such as the World Bank, OSCE, IMF, and USAID. A special attention is paid to the elaboration of a strategy on elimination of bribery in the abovementioned structures.

Q:The Government's anti-corruption programme is almost ready. Do you have any remarks?

A: The programme is being revised now. We approve of it on the whole and hope very much that jointly we will manage to draft a pragmatic strategy in this sphere and will work out a specific schedule of necessary measures.

Q:At the beginning of the year you announced the outset of a UNDP/Territorial Administration Ministry $100,000-worth programme to strengthen local self-government bodies. What stage are you at?

A:As of today we have spent $40,000. Part of the money was spent on drafting a Law on Municipal Service. It is almost ready and we have decided to present it in Syunik, Shirak and Lori regions. The question is also about arranging training courses in regions to raise the qualification and the professional level of representatives of local self-governance bodies. In my opinion, this will conduce to decentralisation, just what I have mentioned above in terms of growing gap between Yerevan and the regions.

Q: In order to implement the Millennium Development Goals, local NGOs and mass media have formed a Republican Network. What are the results of this project?

A: The key objective of the project was to enhance public awareness of the tasks of the Millennium Development Goals programme. The questions is about liquidating poverty in Armenia, reducing infant mortality, protecting maternal health, fighting AIDS, protecting environment, raising the quality of education, achieving equality of genders and protecting the rights of women. During my visits to the regions I was glad to see that our project had proved a success and the local population was well aware of the millennium problems.

Q: In the early 90s the UN Office in Armenia was the first to give Armenia access to the global Internet network. Are you going to continue this tradition by promoting IT development in the country?

A: Very soon, in November, we are opening the biggest Armenian computer centre at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. The centre will have more than 100 modern computers and will much differ from numerous internet-cafes presently operating in Yerevan. The project is aimed to make Internet generally accessible in Armenia and to help the country integrate into the world information community. We also establish internet-centres for regional farmers' associations. In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we have developed or develop programmes of e-Visa and e-Consular services. Hence, we are actively supporting or plan to support the development of Information Technologies in Armenia in the areas of e-commerce, e-management and education. I am convinced that Armenia will make serious achievements in this sphere.

26 September, 2003
Emmanuil Mkrtchyan, ARMINFO