Freedom of Information Center of Armenia.

It is already eight years that Freedom of Information Center organizes Freedom of Information Annual Award Ceremony since 2003. The ceremony is devoted to the International Right to Know Day. The main purpose of this event is to promote transparency and good governance in Armenia.

On September 28, 2010 the following nominations were awarded by an independent Jury:

• Positive Award for the most transparent institution/agency went to Goris Municipality,
   The best official west site from the point of view of freedom of information has been awarded to the RA Government official web site www.egov.am.
• Positive Award for an NGO, which has contributed to the exercising of the access to information right has been awarded to the civil initiative”We are the owners of this city”.
•  Positive Award for the journalist/author of the best FOI related article has been awarded to Mr. Aram Zakaryan from “Aravot” newspaper.
•  Positive Award for the TV program most actively covering FOI issues has been given to the TV program of H2 TV channel “Right to Speech”.
• Positive Award for a citizen who has actively exercised his/her right of access to information has been awarded to the citizen Mr. Hakob Tovmasyan.
  

The winners have been awarded with Golden Keys as a symbol for openness and transparency.

•  Negative award for an institution, which does not fulfill its obligations in FOI field was given to the Stepanavan Municipality /Mayor Mr. Sargis Gharaqeshishyan/.

The winner of the negative award received a lock as a symbol of secrecy.
““The FOI Annual Award Ceremony increases the public control over state bodies. It makes them work more openly and be accountable before the public. For many such bodies this is a good chance to develop their work, review the shortcomings and to correcting them.”, says Mrs. Shushan Doydoyan, president of FOICA. “At the same time this event promotes and encourages citizens, journalists and NGOs to become the protectors of the right to be informed and be the active implementers of the “Law about Freedom of Information».
The Award Ceremony was organized by the Freedom of information Center of Armenia with the support of the USAID and the World Bank Yerevan Office.