US embassy cable - 05YEREVAN67

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 YEREVAN 000067 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/AAE, J. Campbell and INL/RM 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, AFIN, KJUS, KCRM, AM 
SUBJECT:  ARMENIA DRAFT LOA AMENDMENT NO.3 
 
1.  This is an Action Request for INL/AAE. 
 
2.  Post presents our draft of Amendment No. 3 to the Letter 
of Agreement on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement 
Assistance between the Government of the United States and 
the Government of the Republic of Armenia in para 3 and 
requests that the Bureau review the draft and cable approval 
to present the draft to the Government of Armenia for 
consideration. 
 
3. Begin text of draft amendment (note internal numbering): 
 
AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE TO THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT ON 
NARCOTICS CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OF JUNE 11, 2001 
BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA 
 
 
I.   GENERAL 
 
The Government of the United States of America and the 
Government of the Republic of Armenia jointly agree to 
modify and amend the Letter of Agreement (LOA) between the 
U.S. Government and the Government of Armenia, signed June 
11, 2001 in the following respect: 
 
The U.S. Government will provide additional assistance to 
the Government of Armenia in the amount of $2,411,000, 
including technical assistance and training contracted 
through USG agencies and equipment procured by the 
Department of State.  Funds obligated by the USG through 
this Amendment are specified in the cover sheet and total 
$1,500,000.  Future funding for these projects is contingent 
upon the congressional authorization and appropriation of 
funds and approval by the Assistant Secretary of State for 
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. 
 
The additional funding is provided for the following 
projects: Regional Computer Network, American Bar 
Association Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative 
Criminal Reform Program (ABA/CEELI), Counter-Trafficking in 
Persons, Law Enforcement Academy Development, Regional 
Border Training Facilities, and Legal Socialization. 
 
Full project descriptions and project goals are described in 
Section II below.  All other obligations, terms, and 
conditions contained in the Letter of Agreement dated June 
11, 2001 shall remain applicable and in full force and 
effect. 
 
II.  PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS, PROJECT GOAL AND ACHIEVEMENT 
VERIFICATION 
 
(1)  Regional Computer Network Project--$500,000 
 
This is a continuation of a project originally funded in LOA 
Amendment 2 signed on May 19, 2004.  Armenia has 54 regional 
police headquarters throughout its 11 marzes (regions). 
There is currently no computer network for law enforcement 
creating serious delays in sharing time-sensitive law 
enforcement information.  The Norwegian Government is 
providing Interpol with computer hardware and related 
network equipment.  The INL Program will complement this 
activity by providing connectivity for law enforcement 
throughout Armenia. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include:  creating databases 
to improve law enforcement's ability to track trends in 
criminal activity, locate fugitives and access criminal 
records.  Training will be provided to law enforcement on 
crime analysis and on developing cases and conducting 
investigations.   A network will be established to enhance 
Armenian law enforcement's ability to communicate within 
Armenia as well as with foreign law enforcement agencies, 
with an emphasis on the Los Angeles area because of the 
large Armenian Diaspora in that area. 
 
Actions to be taken by the GOAM include:  providing 
appropriate technical and law enforcement personnel to 
receive the training and technical assistance; providing 
venues for local training and technical assistance; making 
proper use of the provided equipment; and facilitating 
access to the equipment by U.S. Government personnel for end 
use monitoring. 
 
The planned life of this project is two years. 
 
Performance Measures: 
 
-  Fingerprint and criminal records databases are developed 
and accessible to Armenian law enforcement by the end of 
2005. 
 
-  Information-sharing between Armenian law enforcement 
offices and with international law enforcement entities 
improves as measured by connectivity between police 
districts in Armenia and by anecdotal reporting by U.S. law 
enforcement representatives. All 54 police districts will be 
connected in 2005, and criminal records database creation 
will be partially completed. 
 
The specific goal of this project will be to increase the 
ability of Armenian law enforcement to conduct timely 
investigations, assist in the development of a law 
enforcement database to increase sharing between law 
enforcement agencies, improve Armenia's ability to access 
international criminal databases and shorten the time it 
takes U.S. and Armenian law enforcement to ascertain the 
whereabouts of suspected international criminals.  This 
program seeks to create synergy between on-going assistance 
efforts with the Armenian Border Guard, Customs, and Police 
and Interpol's initiatives in this area. 
 
It is expected that the mutually beneficial law enforcement 
liaison relationships that develop as a result of the 
project will outlast the investment in the infrastructure 
and training. 
 
Evaluation/Verification: 
 
The INL Officer will monitor the impact on bilateral 
cooperation through discussions with RSO and U.S. law 
enforcement, specifically in the Los Angeles area, and 
monitor official GOAM crime statistics and relevant media 
reports to establish improvements in Armenian law 
enforcement's ability to conduct timely investigations and 
apprehend criminals. 
 
(2) ABA/CEELI Criminal Law Reform Program--$250,000 
 
CEELI placed its first Criminal Law Liaison in Yerevan, 
Armenia in November 1998.  The CEELI Criminal Law Reform 
Program is implemented by a Yerevan-based Criminal Law 
Liaison and two Resident Staff Attorneys.  As necessary, 
CEELI posts additional short-term legal specialists as 
needed to support its program.  The Criminal Law Program 
works in close coordination with the U.S. Department of 
Justice, the INL Regional Coordinator in Yerevan, the U.S. 
Embassy, and other international technical assistance 
providers active in Armenia. 
 
The specific goal of this project will be advancing the rule 
of law by ensuring the provision of timely and direct legal 
assistance on priority criminal justice issues to the 
Armenian legal community. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include:  Providing technical 
assistance, training and mentoring to support the 
professional development of advocates and the increased 
effectiveness of advocates' representation of clients; 
facilitating implementation of the Government of Armenia's 
Anti-Corruption Action Plan, increase public awareness on 
citizen rights under the new Criminal Code; supporting the 
professional development of government investigators; aiding 
the government in fulfilling its constitutional commitment 
to provide free legal representation to indigent criminal 
defendants; and facilitating increased national capacity to 
address the challenges posed by human trafficking. 
 
Actions to be taken by the GOAM include:  Support in 
establishing and maintaining a public defenders office in 
Yerevan; fulfill its constitutional commitment to provide 
free legal representation to indigent criminal defendants. 
 
The planned life of this project is one year. 
 
Performance Measures: 
 
-  Armenian criminal defense lawyers will provide more 
effective advocacy for their clients as measured by 
increased acquittals. 
 
-  Fewer violations of constitutional rights of witnesses, 
defendants and other members of the citizenry. 
 
-  Awareness of human trafficking is increased among GOAM 
law enforcement and Armenian youth as measured through 
anecdotal and statistical information provided by media 
and/or NGOs. 
 
Evaluation/Verification:  In order to ensure effective 
coordination of CEELI's activities with the INL Program, 
Post will seek a direct reporting relationship between CEELI 
and Post's INL Program.  The CEELI office in Washington will 
provide quarterly reports throughout the fiscal year on all 
programmatic activity. 
 
(3) Counter-trafficking in Persons Project--$200,000 
 
INL developed programs in 2003 and 2004 designed to create a 
legal framework to address the issue of trafficking in 
persons and raise government and public awareness of the 
phenomenon.  New programs will provide concrete, practical 
training and assistance to the GOAM, particularly law 
enforcement, to implement this framework. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include:  establishing 
information sharing among law enforcement and consular 
officials both within Armenia and internationally to track 
trafficking trends and increase law enforcement's ability to 
apprehend and prosecute traffickers.  Establishing training 
curricula for law enforcement academies and training centers 
on investigation of trafficking related offenses and 
protection of victims. 
Actions to be taken by the GOAM include:  Making resources 
available to the Interagency Commission on Human Trafficking 
Issues and implementing the National Plan of Action on 
Trafficking in Persons. 
 
The planned life of this project is one year. 
 
Performance Measures: 
 
-  Law enforcement investigations into trafficking-related 
cases increases by 10% over the 2003 baseline. These 
investigations take into account the human rights and 
security of victims and witnesses as measured by media and 
NGO reports. 
 
-  Armenia remains a Tier 2 country or graduates to Tier 1 
in the State Department's Global Trafficking in Persons 
Report. 
 
The goals of this project are to prevent and suppress 
trafficking in persons from and in Armenia and strengthen 
the capability of relevant authorities and civil society to 
more effectively combat the phenomenon by targeting  1) 
investigations; and, 2) victim protection and assistance. 
Curricula will be developed for relevant law enforcement 
training centers and academies, in particular for border 
guard, police, and prosecutors to ensure 
institutionalization of techniques learned. 
 
Evaluation/Verification: 
 
INL will continue to meet with the Armenian Governmental 
Commission to Address Issues related to Human Trafficking 
and the UN Theme Group on Trafficking in Persons in an 
effort to gauge the impact of INL assistance on 
implementation of Armenia's National Plan of Action on 
Trafficking in Persons.  Post will monitor ongoing cases and 
law enforcement investigations into trafficking related 
offenses, as well as media reports, on this issue. 
 
(4) Law Enforcement Academy Development Project--$800,000 
 
The National Police has 2 training facilities - a 5-year 
National Police Academy and a Police NCO Training Center. 
Curricula at these two facilities and the Prosecutorial 
Training Center must be dramatically changed to reflect the 
new Criminal Code, adopted in April 2003 and entered into 
effect in August 2003, to include newly criminalized 
offenses, such as money laundering and trafficking in 
persons.  The facilities are also sorely lacking in 
equipment for practical and physical training exercises. 
Most of the previous year's funding is being used to 
renovate the Police NCO Training Center in preparation for 
these activities. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include:  Create or 
modernize, as appropriate, topic-specific curricula, in 
particular in the areas of organized crime, white collar and 
financial crime and areas that are new to the Criminal Code. 
Enhance practical (e.g. physical training, crime scene labs, 
latent fingerprint extraction) training methodologies and 
procure relevant equipment.  Establish objective 
matriculation procedures for academies.  Create competency 
and fitness examinations for cadets as well as in-service 
officers. 
 
Actions to be taken by the GOAM include:  Providing access 
for the trainers and technical advisors to the academies and 
faculties; incorporating courses into the academies and 
selecting appropriate participants to attend the training on 
a full time basis. 
 
This is a multi-year program. 
 
Performance Measures: 
 
-  Incorporation of new and modified curricula into the 
training academies by the end of 2005 and completion of 
renovations of the physical techniques training rooms and 
the firing ranges in 2005. 
 
-  Curricula reflect changes in the new Criminal Code, 
especially in "new" areas such as trafficking in persons, 
money laundering, etc. 
 
-  Faculty teaches new curricula and courses. 
The goals of this project are incorporation of new and 
modified curricula into the training academies by the end of 
2005 and completion of renovations of the physical 
techniques training rooms and the firing ranges in 2005. 
 
All curricula, training and testing materials will be 
developed in close concert with Armenian counterparts, and 
Armenian trainers will be trained to conduct most law 
enforcement training in Armenia. 
Evaluation/Verification: 
 
INL will meet quarterly with key GOAM counterparts and visit 
sites where assistance has been provided to assess impact 
and progress toward program goals.  End-use monitoring 
reports will be submitted in accordance with INL 
regulations. 
 
(5) Regional Training Facilities Project--$470,000 
 
At present there are no training facilities along the 
Georgian/Armenian border or Iranian/Armenian border for 
either Customs or Border Guards.  Training border officials 
in Yerevan is not cost effective and due to staffing 
shortages is not always feasible.  The Armenian Border Guard 
has facilities at both borders but they require renovation 
and equipment.  The border guard will share these facilities 
with Armenian Customs. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include:  Renovation of the 
training facilities in Gogavan, Meghri and Yerevan; 
providing equipment for the facilities; developing a train- 
the-trainer program; and develop a standard curriculum in 
critical border security and interdiction skills. 
 
Actions to be taken by the GOAM include: providing 
appropriate technical and law enforcement personnel to 
receive the training and technical assistance; providing 
venues for local training and technical assistance; making 
proper use of the provided equipment; and facilitating 
access to the equipment by U.S. Government personnel for end 
use monitoring. 
 
The planned life of this project is one year. 
 
Performance Measures: 
 
-  Improvement of GOAM law enforcement training centers as 
measured by the number of training classes conducted by the 
end of 2005. 
 
-  Improvements in capabilities of GOAM law enforcement 
agencies ability to secure the borders and interdict 
contraband as measured by an increase in contraband 
confiscation and a decrease in illegal migration by the end 
of 2005. 
 
Evaluation/Verification: 
 
INL will meet quarterly with key GOAM counterparts and visit 
sites where assistance has been provided to assess impact 
and progress toward program goals.  End-use monitoring 
reports will be submitted in accordance with INL 
regulations. 
 
(6) Legal Socialization Program--$191,000 
 
The purpose of a second year of the Armenian Legal 
Socialization Program is to replicate and expand the 
successful introduction of legal socialization education 
into 78 more schools, creating school-law enforcement 
partnerships in a total of 10 schools across all eleven 
marzes of Armenia. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include:  Expanding the 
number of participating schools from 22 to 100; train and 
support teams of one educator and one law enforcement 
official per school; facilitate an exchange of legal 
socialization trainers and education specialists between the 
U.S. and Armenia; facilitate a training of trainers seminar; 
increase the number of Legal Mosaic lesson plans from ten to 
twelve; and expand the online presence of the program. 
 
Actions to be taken by the GOU include:  providing the 
training venues, technical assistance and assistance in the 
selection of appropriate program participants. 
 
The planned life of this project is multi- year. 
 
Performance Measures: 
 
-  Training-of-Trainers program for all participating ZANG 
schools facilitated by four visiting American trainers. 
-  "Legal Mosaic" curriculum expanded and modified to twelve 
lessons. 
 
-  Over 2500 students reached. 
 
-  Over 100 school teachers and 22 law enforcement officers 
engaged and trained. 
-  Participation by over 800 parents in Parents' Meetings. 
-  Legal Mosaic published and uploaded to program website. 
 
Evaluation/Verification: 
 
Appropriate Embassy personnel will maintain close contact 
with the project implementers and will participate in some 
of the training of trainers. 
 
The INL Regional Coordinator will monitor this project. 
Monthly activity reports will be submitted by the field 
liaison to the INL, the regional program director and the 
overall program director based in Washington, D.C. 
 
 
Done at Yerevan, Armenia this ____(day) of 
___________(month), _______(year). 
 
 
 
For the Government            For the Government of 
of the United States of       the Republic of Armenia 
America 
 
End text of proposed LOA Amendment. 
 
EVANS