On 14 September, the concluding event of the “Implementation of an Advocacy Campaign in the Social Protection Sector” Sub-Grant Project, which the “Business and Education Association” Non-Governmental Organization had organized within the framework of the “Budgets for Citizens” program.

Representatives of the civil society organizations, independent experts, and other stakeholders participated in the event. A representative of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia was also present, providing an opportunity to align the perspectives and observations of civil society with those of the public administration system during the discussions.

The event brought together representatives from various sectors to showcase the accomplished work, the achieved results, and successes realized within the framework of the program, as well as to discuss the continuation of advocacy efforts in the area of ​​social support and opportunities for future collaboration.

During the event, particular attention was paid to ensuring continuity in advocacy efforts regarding social support, involving the civil society organizations in the formulation of public policy, and expanding opportunities for public participation in budget processes.

Representative of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, Ms Anahit Mardoyan, “Budgets for Citizens” Project Assistant, delivered opening remarks. She outlined the public interest advocacy initiatives being implemented under the program, highlighting their cross-sectoral nature and the active participation of the civil society in the process of public policy-making.

Anahit Mardoyan said that advocacy efforts were conducted in four key areas: social support, agriculture, justice, and education. She emphasized that initiatives implemented across various sectors have made it possible to identify sector-specific issues, formulate proposals, and present them to relevant stakeholders, thereby fostering a constructive dialogue on public policy and budgetary processes.

During the event, the Project Manager Ms Marine Zhamkochyan, President of the “Business and Education Association” NGO, highlighted the achieved results, emphasizing the active participation of young people in budgetary processes, the value of the experience gained, and the need to apply it further. She emphasized that the true value of the accomplished work, in addition to the recorded results lies in the knowledge and experience gained, as well as in the potential to serve as a foundation for future initiatives and effective advocacy efforts.

Marina Zhamkochyan emphasized the importance of cohesion, mutual trust, and unified partnership among civil society organizations, noting that effectively addressing social support challenges requires not only the consistent efforts of individual organizations but also the formation of a shared agenda and the pooling of complementary expertise and resources.

She said that a consolidated civil society could participate more consistently and effectively in shaping state policy and improving budgetary processes. According to her, joint efforts, the exchange of experience, open dialogue, and partnership-based cooperation serve as a crucial foundation for the success of individual initiatives as well as for shaping long-term, sustainable changes that meet the public interest.

One of the key segments of the event was dedicated to summarizing the results of the “Implementation of an Advocacy Campaign in the Social Protection Sector” project.

Project expert Ms Susanna Yeghiazaryan presented the accomplished work, key achievements, and recorded results. The presentation was accompanied by an interactive discussion, during which participants had an opportunity to share their observations, questions, and offer recommendations.

The discussion also touched upon issues regarding continued advocacy efforts and opportunities for cooperation among various stakeholders.

The next part of the event presented the results of a survey conducted among civil society organizations and independent experts.

Ms Armine Grigoryan, a young specialist of the project, presented the key findings of the survey, specifically, the positions of civil society organizations and experts regarding advocacy, public participation, and engagement in budget processes within the social support sector.

Participants were given the opportunity to discuss the results of the accomplished work and, based on them, plan possible directions for future activities.

The event also addressed the key trends and observations regarding public participation in the 2027 state budget process, as well as positions and responses of CSOs to the proposals presented by the Association.

Discussions have shown that the participation of civil society organizations is crucial both for developing and improving of the public policy and for raising public awareness and engagement in budget processes.

In the concluding part of the event, the Project Manager Ms Marine Zhamkochyan, President of the “Business and Education Association” NGO, summarized the key points of the discussions and addressed issues regarding the future use of the project results, the involvement of young people in these processes, and opportunities for future cooperation.

The “Implementation of an Advocacy Campaign in the Social Protection Sector” project aims to contribute to strengthening advocacy capacities within the social support sector, fostering public participation, and expanding the role of civil society.

The concluding event served as a platform for presenting the results of the work carried out, exchanging experiences, and discussing potential areas for future cooperation, highlighting the importance of participation of the civil society in the processes of formulation of the state budget and development of public policy.

This event is implemented with the financial support of the European Union within the framework of a sub-grant provided under the “Budgets for Citizens” action implemented by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, in cooperation with partners “Economic Development and Research Center” (EDRC) NGO and “Agora Central Europe” NGO (Czech Republic). It has been implemented by the “Business and Education Association” Non-Governmental Organization within the framework of the “Implementation of an Advocacy Campaign in the Social Protection Sector” project. The “Business and Education Association” Non-Governmental Organization is responsible for the content, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.