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On April 16 in the RA National Assembly the international seminar on the theme “Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector” launched, where NA deputies, international experts, representatives of the security bodies and NGOs.

Koryun Nahapetyan, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs, Co-Chair of the Session had an opening word. He welcomed the seminar participants, expressing hope that the debates would effectively go on, as the theme of the parliamentary oversight of the security sector was not only related to the parliament and security bodies, but it also pursued an aim of effective administration and has a public big perception and sounding.

Philipp Fluri, Deputy Director of the Geneva Center for DCAF, Co-Chair of the Session has informed the attendees that their Center has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the RA National Assembly, within the framework of which their experts will visit Armenia 4-5 times and carry out consultancy aimed at the reforms of the sector on the missions, goals of the security state bodies, the mechanisms and ways of oversight mechanisms, the European experience existing in this sector. He has noted that during the seminar the experts will submit the oversight functions of the legislative body, comparing their professional experience with scientific principles.

Lodewijk Vanoost, MP, Belgian Federal Parliament & Former Deputy Speaker of the Belgian Federal Parliament in his speech touched upon the importance of the parliament’s role in security sector governance. Lodewijk Vanoost drew the attention of the attendees to the fact that before implementing oversight the parliament should specify the legal frameworks and the legal bases of the oversight.

Valeri Ratchev, Associate Senior Fellow, DCAF referred to the role of the parliament in the oversight of the defense sector, presenting the Bulgarian experience of the reforms on security sector and parliamentary oversight.

Col. Carmen Vasile, former spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, Romania, and the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center touched upon the importance of the parliament in the oversight of the law enforcement agencies, the responsibilities of the law enforcement agencies and the role of the mass media in the distribution of the functions and reforms of the sector.

Yuri Kovyrshin, Independent expert, DCAF talked about the results of the reforms made in the security sector, particularly in the police system, the changes of human resources, the forms of cooperation with the public, authority of the state institutes, formation of the public opinion on the work of the police and the means of its influence.

Ms. Theodora Fuior, Coordinator, Parliamentary Programmes, Operations I, DCAF referred to the role, features and functions of the parliamentary standing committees.

At the end of the seminar Koryun Nahapetyan, the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs, Co-Chair of the Session thanked the experts of the Geneva Center of the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the Armenian experts for effective discussions.

Koryun Nahapetyan said that on the initiative of the Committee on April 17 at 10 a.m. the parliamentary hearings on the theme “Higher Public Trust Towards Police” will launch in the National Assembly.