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Armenia

Monthly Event Reports

December 2023 | Civil Contract accused of undermining local democracy

After abruptly leaving a municipal coalition agreement in the country’s second largest city of Gyumri and replacing a mayor in the town of Alaverdi on 5-6 December, the ruling Civil Contract party has been accused by domestic NGOs and media of undermining the functioning of local democratic institutions that it does not control. Police answerable to the national government have allegedly been used to pressure opposition public officials and interfere in local governments, Armenian rights organizations accused Civil Contract of using blackmail and behind-the-scenes pressure to force local officials to abandon governing coalitions and support its candidates, and the party’s representatives have boycotted proceedings and abandoned coalitions without explanation, paralyzing local governments. Civil Contract was previously accused by opponents and civil society organizations of carrying out similar campaigns in the capital Yerevan and in Vanadzor, the country’s third largest city.

October 2023 | Armenia ratifies Rome Statute
Watch flag

The Armenian Parliament on 3 October adopted a bill ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The move comes after Armenia’s defeat in the Second Karabakh War and government frustration at the lack of support during and after the conflict from Russia, its historical security guarantor who operates two military bases in the country. Armenia has insisted the move was not anti-Russian but predicated on its own security interests, such as one day turning to the court to prosecute crimes committed by Azerbaijan during the two states’ decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

June 2023 | Prime Minister testifies before parliamentary war commission

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan provided both public and confidential testimony in a select committee investigating the causes of Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. Pashinyan’s testimony covered both his decisions regarding the use of weapons and military strategy as well as his position in pre-war negotiations to reach a possible settlement with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory. The testimony followed Pashinyan’s offer to publicly recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan if Baku guarantees the security of its ethnic Armenian population in May 2023, a historic change in Armenian policy which prompted strong criticism from opposition groups and the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

October 2022 | Appointment of political allies worries watchdogs

On 6 October, Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract Party appointed allies to the politically independent Electoral Commission and Supreme Judicial Council. The appointments have been criticized by civil society for undermining independent institutions in a similar manner to Armenia’s previous government.

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
2 968 130
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (since 2018)
Head of government party
Civil Contract
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
35.50%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2021
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
2.92
Head of state
President Vahagn Khachaturyan
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
23/01/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
94.84%
Population Tooltip
2 968 130
System of government
Parliamentary system
Head of government
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (since 2018)
Head of government party
Civil Contract
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
35.50%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2021
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
2.92
Head of state
President Vahagn Khachaturyan
Selection process for head of state
Indirect election (assembly)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
23/01/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
94.84%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
Signatory
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 4 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 7 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
State Party
Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Signatory
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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