During a public discussion on improving civil society participation in legislative processes, Tigran Grigoryan, co-founder of Avenue Consulting Group and an independent expert, emphasized the importance of civil society’s role in fostering dialogue with the government. The discussion, organized by the “Public Network” initiative, revealed that public participation in Armenia is currently not as effective as it could be.

 

Grigoryan noted, “Civil society is not yet able to provide high-quality regulatory feedback. Many civil society representatives raise only small, specific issues with higher government bodies, which is a problem. Once civil society starts offering more qualitative opinions, state bodies will be more willing to engage in dialogue.”

 

Tamara Abrahamyan, President of the "Araza" NGO, added that a lack of access to information and feedback mechanisms are key barriers to public participation. Despite civil society efforts, particularly in the areas of social and educational legislation, there has been little government response, which negatively affects the credibility of civil society.

 

The discussion highlighted the need for improved communication between civil society and government institutions to ensure more effective participation in Armenia's legislative processes.

Source