border delimitation based on the Alma Ata Declaration of 1991, anticipating that the process will continue along the entire border. The Assembly commends the approach taken to unblocking regional communications based on the principles of respect of sovereignty, national jurisdiction, equality and reciprocity. In this context, the Assembly welcomes the initiative of the Armenian Government, entitled “The Crossroads of Peace”, which could contribute to peace and stability in the region.

6. The Assembly commands the ratification by Armenia of Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for theProtection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concerning the abolition of the death penalty in allcircumstances (ETS No. 187), including for crimes committed in times of war and imminent threat of war.

7. The Assembly also welcomes the ratification by Armenia of the Rome Statute of the InternationalCriminal Court.

8. With regard to the long-standing concerns relating to elections in Armenia, the Assembly commendsthe authorities for the inclusiveness and transparency of the legislative process that has led to the reform ofthe Electoral Code. It notes with satisfaction that the amendments to the Electoral Code and related legislationare in accordance with many of the recommendations of the European Commission for Democracy throughLaw (Venice Commission) and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), while regretting that some of these recommendationsstill remain unaddressed.

9. The Assembly welcomes the holding of the elections to the Yerevan city council in September 2023,which in spite of being held in a period of extreme tension around the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, metdemocratic standards as acknowledged by Recommendation 501 (2023) of the Congress of Local andRegional Authorities of the Council of Europe. While the strengthening of the electoral legal framework andthe reinforcement of the safeguards to eliminate the possibility of election fraud were welcomed by theCongress, the authorities were further invited to, inter alia, implement existing legislation and regulationsrelated to the misuse of public resources, strengthen oversight and control mechanisms with regard to politicalparty and campaign financing, and strengthen the participation of women.

10. The 2023 elections in Yerevan have been the third consecutive elections, after the 2018 and 2021national elections, which have been assessed by the international community, and accepted as such bynational stakeholders, as being free of the irregularities that had tainted many earlier elections. Inconsequence, the Assembly considers that the objective to hold genuinely democratic elections which win theconfidence of the Armenian people has to a large extent been achieved.

11. However, in order to further improve the electoral process in Armenia, the Assembly:

11.1. invites Armenia to implement the outstanding recommendations regarding the electoralframework, maintaining throughout this process the inclusiveness and transparency of the reformprocess;

11.2. draws the particular attention of the authorities to the need for implementation of the regulationon the misuse of public resources and the financing of political parties.

12. The Assembly regrets that the improvement in the electoral framework has not led to a better co-operation and mutual respect between the ruling majority and the opposition. All electoral observationmissions have reported the excessive polarisation and the stigmatisation of political opponents from all sides.Mutual tolerance and acknowledgement of the legitimacy of political opponents are necessary elements ofdemocratic societies and cement the legitimacy of democratic institutions.

13. The Assembly considers that in the context of deep polarisation, it is essential to protect theindependence of collegial bodies representing public interest from undue political pressure. In this regard, theAssembly refers to its Resolution 2537 (2024) “Relationship between the parliamentary majority and theopposition in a democracy” and the Venice Commission Checklist on “Parameters on the Relationshipbetween the Parliamentary Majority and the Opposition in a Democracy”. The appointment procedure to toppositions outside the government or to independent collegial bodies and agencies should be depoliticised and,to the maximum extent possible, based on a cross-party consensus. Mechanisms in place should reduce thedominance of the parliamentary majority within such collective bodies or limit the relevance of the affiliation ofthe officeholders with the governing party or coalition. In this regard, the Assembly expresses its concernsregarding the potential detrimental effects of the possibility for a party to appoint candidates single-handedly.

Resolution 2560 (2024)

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