ARMENIA DRAFT LOA AMENDMENT NO.3

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