Enhancing the integrity of Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) personnel, ensuring compliance with rules of conduct and strengthening public trust in public service are among the Ministry’s priorities. To achieve these objectives, the MIA implements a comprehensive range of measures.
These initiatives have included training sessions on integrity and meetings and discussions entitled “A Conversation with a Psychologist”. Around 300 personnel from the Police, the Rescue Service and the Migration and Citizenship Service participated in these activities.
“Every year, the Minister of Internal Affairs approves an integrity action plan for the Ministry’s public servants. The plan includes numerous activities aimed at fostering integrity among personnel.
Integrity and psychology are closely interconnected, as both explore a person’s inner values and motivations and how these are reflected in their behaviour.
Integrity is not merely a legal or ethical concept; it is also one of the foundations of psychological well-being and personal growth,” says Anahit Karapetyan, Integrity Coordinator in the Human Resources Capacity Development and Integrity Division of the MIA Human Resources Management Department.
The training sessions focused on the legal and ethical standards governing the conduct of public servants. Participants studied the provisions of the Republic of Armenia’s Law on Public Service, the requirements of the rules of conduct and the specifics of their application.
The discussions also covered measures to prevent conflicts of interest, incompatibility requirements, the prohibition on accepting gifts, the requirement of political neutrality and other restrictions.
According to Aghavni Karapetyan, Senior Lecturer at the Chair of Administrative Law and Police Administrative Activities of the Police Training Unit of the MIA Educational Complex, the sessions focused on integrity rules for public servants. They also addressed the rules and principles governing their conduct and outlined the legal requirements for full compliance with the integrity framework.
Psychological preparedness also plays an important role in fostering a culture of integrity among personnel. To this end, meetings entitled “A Conversation with a Psychologist” were organised, providing participants with an opportunity to openly discuss challenges arising in their professional work and ways to overcome them.
The discussions addressed workplace stress management, maintaining emotional stability, effective interpersonal communication and constructive behaviour in conflict situations.
Speaking about the objectives of these meetings, Ani Harutyunyan, an instructor-psychologist in the Psychological Support Division of the Department of Psychological Support and Medical Provision of the MIA Rescue Service, noted:
“The aim of these meetings and discussions is to enhance professional preparedness, provide psychological knowledge and identify the resources personnel lack in their professional work. They also aim to introduce mechanisms for providing psychological guidance in the workplace and helping personnel become better prepared to carry out assigned tasks.”
Efforts to strengthen a culture of integrity within the Ministry of Internal Affairs are ongoing.