AUA Event on New Website Enabling Public Engagement into Law-making

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On March 14, the Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Justice representatives visited the American University of Armenia to introduce www.e-drafts.am, a new website that publishes draft legislation for public commenting. The event was jointly organized by the AUA Center for Responsible Mining and the AUA LL.M. Program.

The website is intended to provide opportunity for the civil society to propose recommendations on the draft versions and be informed about their status. The new online portal allows the public to review and comment on draft laws and regulations within a 15-day period. Government authorities are required to provide public feedback in the website to each of the comments.

“The presentation was initiated with the hope that it will raise awareness among wider public on how to effectively participate in the process of drafting laws and other legal acts of our country,” said Mary Galstyan, Deputy Manager of the Mining Legislation Reform Initiative, a project of the AUA Center for Responsible Mining. “We were also interested to discuss how such a tool can ensure trustworthy and meaningful stakeholder participation.”

Using the website requires registration. Users can receive updates on comments and responses on a specific piece of legislation.  They can also select keywords based on which they receive notification on draft legislation available for public commenting. The website is developed by the RA Ministry of Justice with support of the European Union.

The American University of Armenia Center for Responsible Mining (AUA CRM) promotes the creation, transfer, and adoption of best practices in socially, environmentally, and economically responsible mining in Armenia. AUA CRM works with companies, civil society, and the public sector to achieve this goal.

The www.e-draft.am website developed by RA Ministry of Justice with support from the European Union