Communities Association of Armenia marks a new chapter in its history by adopting new Charter and holding elections

Yerevan, Armenia, 24 February 2017 – More than 400 Armenian mayors, members of the Communities Association of Armenia (CAA), gathered for a General Assembly of the CAA on 24 February 2017 in Yerevan to adopt a new Charter (statute), developed with support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and to elect the Association’s President and governing bodies.

“Mayors are the very first government officials to work with citizens and to deal with local issues. Therefore, the Communities Association of Armenia and the Government of Armenia need to work in close partnership, to join forces for the benefit of citizens”, stressed Davit Lokyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Development of the Republic of Armenia, addressing the General Assembly.

“Mayors are key players in the governing process, and their strong participation today proves that your Association is becoming a major stakeholder of the governance system and plays a strategic role in promoting the development of local democracy in Armenia,” underlined Gunn Marit Helgesen, President of the Congress Chamber of Regions, in her message to the Assembly.

“Local authorities of Armenia need to speak with a unified voice, as they are the foundation of the democratic system of the state. This meeting is an important step to make our Association an indispensable partner to the local authorities, the national government and international institutions, and a core element of the local governance system”, stated CAA President Emin Yeritsyan after his re-election for a new five-year term.

The General Assembly of the CAA was organised in the framework of the “Institutional support to Communities Association of Armenia” project, implemented by the Congress with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland and the Council of Europe. This support is provided in the framework of the four-year programme on “Improvement of the local self-governance system”, co-ordinated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, in partnership with the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the World Bank and the Armenian Territorial Development Fund (ATDF).

Armenia joined the Council of Europe in 2001, ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 2002, with entry into force on 1 May 2002 and its Additional Protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority in 2013. Countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter imposes compliance with a minimum number of rights, which are the bedrock of European local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe ensures respect for these principles.