© 2023. PHOTO BY PEACE DIALOGUE NGO. AUTHOR: ANNA ZURABYAN
In the framework of the project Developing Inclusive Oversight of Security (DIOS) implemented by the Dutch NGO Centre for European Security Studies (CESS) in partnership with Peace Dialogue NGO, two expert lab discussions were conducted on 18-19 January, 2023 in Yerevan.
The event on 18 January was aimed at initiating multi-stakeholder consultations on the key priorities in drafting a national security strategy and developing short- and mid-term policies for its effective implementation based on a joint analysis of existing risks, introduction to the best international practices, and observation of lessons learned.
The topic of the discussion held on 19 January was the classification of defence and security information. The participants had multi-stakeholder consultations on relevant aspects for establishing a transparency policy that navigates the tension between the need for classification and disclosure, as well as for defining the goals of the policies and formulating proper measures to achieve these goals, while respecting the need for personal, operational, and national security.
Overall, 20 local experts from the Parliament, National Security Council, Human Rights Defender’s Office, the Ministry of Defence and representatives of civil society organizations took part in the aforementioned events. In collaboration with qualified experts invited from the Netherlands and based on the study of good international practices, the participants identified the challenges in the field and developed action plans for sustaining and improving the oversight of the implementation of the National Security Strategy and the processes of classification and declassification of defence sector-related information.
Ambassador Nico Schermers of the Netherlands Embassy in Yerevan, who attended the opening session of the expert discussion on classification of defence and security information, expressed the Netherlands’s interest in supporting the democratic processes in Armenia. In addition, he emphasized his personal willingness to support activities aimed at strengthening the democratic oversight of defence and security sectors initiated both by the partners from state institutions and the Parliament and by actors representing civil society and the expert community.
The DIOS project is implemented by the Centre for European Security Studies (the Netherlands) and Peace Dialogue NGO (Armenia) with the financial assistance from the Netherlands Embassy in Armenia.
