Statement by Mr. Arsen Mikayelyan, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia, at the 35th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: Ratification and Implementation of UNCAC and UNTOC

02 June, 2026

Delegation of the Republic of Armenia

35th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Vienna, 01-05 June 2026

Statement under Agenda Item 6b (Ratification and Implementation of UNCAC and UNTOC)

Mr. Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

Armenia emphasizes the essential role of United Nations Convention against Corruption to shape country’s integrity and transparency framework, to foster good governance, democracy, and inclusiveness.

Government of Armenia has declared the fight against corruption as a policy priority. This commitment is particularly reflected in the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2023-2026 with its objectives focused on prevention, enforcement, anti-corruption education, and business integrity.

By 2023, Armenia completed the establishment of the national anti-corruption institutional framework that effectively integrates preventive, investigative, and punitive functions bringing them into compliance with UNCAC provisions.

The Corruption Prevention Commission promotes integrity and merit-based public service by conducting preventive oversight, including integrity checks for judges, prosecutors, and investigators since 2024. The specialized Anti-Corruption Committee handles pre-trial investigations and intelligence on alleged corruption. Anti-Corruption Courts, including first-instance, appellate, and a Chamber in the Court of Cassation, are now fully functional.

Chair,

Armenia attaches great importance to the Implementation Review Mechanism of the UNCAC and recognizes its value in strengthening national integrity systems and guiding reform priorities. Armenia’s Executive Summary has been published in 2021.

A key outcome of Armenia’s second review cycle is the introduction of a civil confiscation mechanism for property of illicit origin, significantly strengthening the country’s asset recovery framework in line with UNCAC standards. In 2020, Armenia adopted the Law on Civil Forfeiture of Illegal Assets, providing a solid basis for non-conviction-based confiscation. Civil forfeiture proceedings are initiated by a specialized unit within the Office of the Prosecutor General, ensuring the necessary expertise and institutional capacity.

We would like to underscore the indispensable role of civil society in this shared effort. As a State Party to UNCAC, Armenia attaches great importance to transparency, public consultation, and the meaningful participation of citizens in preventing and combating corruption. Strengthening this partnership remains a priority for us. In this spirit, Armenia has signed the UNCAC Coalition’s Transparency Pledge, reaffirming our commitment to openness, accountability, and constructive cooperation with civil society stakeholders. Last week, we were honored to present Armenia’s best practices at the event ՛՛Promoting Effective Access to Information: Recommendations for Implementation of UNCAC-Related Commitments՛ organized by the Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC and Armenia.

Mr. Chair,

Turning to UNTOC, we would like to emphasize that Armenia has developed legal frameworks and practical measures to address transnational organized crime. It is worth to mention that Armenia continues to holds the lowest criminality score of 2.82, and highest resilience score of 5.71 in the region according to the Global Organized Crime Index. Despite the fact that the overall crime rate in Armenia is lower than in most European countries and throughout Asia, combating organized crime requires continuous domestic efforts, as well as enhanced international cooperation to which we reaffirm our strong commitment.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

MFA RA
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