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On November 10, a meeting with the representatives of NGOs on the initiative of the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Taguhi Tovmasyan was held. The NA deputies took part in the discussion.

The goal was to voice the legislative gaps regarding the NGOs and find the possible versions of their solution.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs highlighted the role and significance of the civil society in the development of the country. According to her, from 2008 for some reasons the activity of the civil society has become passive, cases of violation of rights have been recorded. Taguhi Tovmasyan has underlined that the parliament is obliged to promote the more active more free activities of the civil society.

The representatives of the NGOs voiced their concerns on the legislative gaps and highlighted the financial transparency and report issues.

The Head of the charitable NGO Support the Injured Soldiers, the Military Disabled Lilit Nalbandyan proposed to make legislative amendment on implementing charitable programmes by the NGOs and on recognizing charitable process by the Government those programmes.

In the opinion of the Chairman of the Charitable NGO Support Our Hero Vicken Arabian, some provisions and omissions of the law on Charity being in force from 2002 create problems for the efficiency of the charitable activity, causing loss of time, working obstacles, inefficient and inappropriate processes, Therefore, the legislation of the charity sphere needs transformation and re-modernization.

The Chair of the NGO Center on Development of Parliamentarism Gohar Meloyan noticed in recent period the passiveness of the public councils adjunct to the state structures and the absence of the public discussions over the most serious legislative initiatives.

The Coordinator of the NGO programs Union of Informed Citizens Daniel Ioannisian noticed that the NGOs should essentially differ from the parties. According to him, people going through the NGOs should not have political ambitions.

Summing up the meeting-discussion, the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Taguhi Tovmasyan thanked the participants for the interesting and essential discussion. The Committee Chair has noted that there is a problem of public trust. The MP expressed readiness to study the voiced problems and to take steps for their quick solution as soon as possible.