PACE Adopts Resolution on Armenia's Commitments and Obligations

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan wrote on his Facebook page: “Just now, PACE voted to adopt the resolution on ‘The Implementation of Armenia’s Commitments and Obligations.’ The resolution is quite comprehensive, and I present the most interesting parts:

The Parliamentary Assembly highly appreciates Armenia's continued commitment to democratic development in spite of significant security challenges, noting that, while facing a complex international environment, Armenia has continued to pursue an ambitious reform agenda.

The Assembly welcomes Armenia's ratification of the Protocol No. 13 on the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances, in conjunction with the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The Assembly positively notes the efforts by the authorities to ensure inclusiveness and transparency in the legislative process, which has led to improvements in the Electoral Code following several consultations with the Venice Commission.

The Assembly welcomes the holding of the municipal elections in Yerevan in September 2023, which, although taking place amid extreme tensions surrounding the situation in Artsakh, nonetheless met the democratic criteria enshrined by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The resolution records that the elections in 2023 were the third consecutive elections after the presidential elections of 2018 and 2021, which were assessed by the international community as being free of violations, in contrast to previous periods. Therefore, the Assembly believes that the Armenian authorities have largely achieved the goal of conducting genuinely democratic elections that garner the trust of the people.

However, the Assembly expresses regret that improvements in the electoral sector have not led to better collaboration and mutual respect between the ruling majority and the opposition, noting that electoral observation missions reported excessive polarization and stigmatization among political opponents and adding that mutual tolerance and recognition of the legitimacy of political opponents are necessary elements of democratic societies and strengthen the legitimacy of democratic institutions.

The Assembly highly values the reforms aimed at maintaining the independence of the judiciary and positively notes the Armenian authorities’ readiness for real dialogue with the Council of Europe and their ongoing efforts.

At the same time, it expresses regret that there remains a widespread perception that disciplinary procedures against judges are misused to influence their decisions.

The Assembly welcomes that the Minister of Justice has sought an opinion from the Venice Commission regarding the conceptual document on the reform of the Ethics and Disciplinary Issues Committee of the General Assembly of Judges, which demonstrates the political will to cooperate on this matter with the bodies of the Council of Europe.

The Assembly also positively assesses the genuine determination displayed by the authorities to combat systemic corruption, as evidenced by the establishment of two specialized anti-corruption bodies and courts, police reform, and the implementation of integrity checks for individuals occupying autonomous positions in the judiciary, prosecution service, and investigative bodies.

The Assembly notes that certain public demonstrations organized by opposition parties demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pashinyan following the forced displacement of the population of Artsakh have turned violent, with protesters attempting to forcibly enter government buildings. The Assembly has positively noted that during these events, clashes with police forces did not result in casualties, in stark contrast to the events of March 1, 2008, which led to 10 deaths and were strongly condemned by Assembly’s Resolution 1837.

It is mentioned that in September 2023, Azerbaijani armed forces invaded the region of Artsakh, which was under the protection of Russian peacekeepers. Fearing the consequences, the overwhelming majority of the population fled to Armenia within a matter of days. The Assembly refers to the resolution ‘The humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh’ and the corresponding advice, expressing deep regret that nearly the entire Armenian population of the region—over 100,600 people—has been forced to leave their ancestral homeland and escape to Armenia, and calls on Azerbaijan to release all detained representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as all Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan.

The Assembly notes that the Armenian authorities continue to engage in peace treaty negotiations with Azerbaijan, in line with their commitment to resolve international disputes peacefully.

Addressing the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Assembly expresses complete support for a peace process based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity, respect for sovereignty, inviolability of borders, and the principle of non-use of force.

The Assembly also welcomes the commencement of border demarcation based on the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, expecting that the process will continue along the entire border.

The Assembly highly values the adopted approach regarding the unblocking of regional communications based on principles of sovereignty, national jurisdiction, equality, and reciprocity. In this context, the Assembly welcomes the Armenian government’s ‘Peace Crossroads’ initiative, which can contribute to peace and stability in the region.