CSO SUSTAINABILITY: 3.9

The year 2012 in Armenia was marked by parliamentary and local elections. CSOs were more involved in the election process this year, forming a number of coalitions to monitor the elections and raise public awareness, and increasingly using new technologies for mobilization, communication, and public relations. In addition, several CSO representatives ran for office, some of whom won.

Long-discussed changes to the CSO legal framework were not adopted in 2012. However, CSOs were more actively involved in tangible steps to improve the legislation and continued to collaborate with governmental bodies.

According to the Ministry of Justice, there were 3,432 public organizations, 733 foundations, and 301 legal entity unions registered in Armenia as of October 2012. This represents a slight decrease over the past year, as several organizations were closed for not providing tax reports. Experts estimate that only 15 to 20 percent of registered institutions are active.