A two-day workshop entitled “Youth Engagement in MIA Reforms: Dialogue and Effective Cooperation” was held in Tsaghkadzor on 10–11 November through close cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The workshop was attended by members of the Youth Council under the Minister of Internal Affairs.

The agenda covered key topics related to various areas of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ activities, giving young participants an opportunity to familiarise themselves with sector-specific processes and discuss ways to become involved in the reform process.

“The agenda was quite comprehensive and covered a variety of topics, including domestic violence, cybersecurity and crisis communication. We had the opportunity to develop the ability to respond quickly to different situations and to raise the issues that concern us,” said Berta Harutyunyan, a member of the Youth Council under the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Nelly Davtyan, Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service, presented the process of modernising Armenia’s identity document system and the advantages of the new-generation biometric passports and ID cards.

According to Levon Arsenyan, a member of the Youth Council under the Minister of Internal Affairs, meetings in this format are highly effective: alongside structured professional discussions, participants get to know one another better and build stronger connections, which are also an important aspect of cooperation within the Council.

An active discussion with Natali Sahakyan, Head of the Department of Strategic Planning, Policy Development and Monitoring of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, focused on making young people’s voices heard in Police reforms, enhancing the attractiveness of service and opportunities for professional development.

Georgi Khachatryan, Head of the Professional and Methodological Support Department of the General Department of Community Police, spoke about the role of young people in crime prevention and prospects for cooperation with the Police.

Hayk Mkrtchyan, Head of the Department for Combating Cybercrime of the General Department of Criminal Police, addressed new crime risks in the digital environment, their prevention and current cybersecurity challenges.

The young participants also took part in interactive group work. Together with Lianna Abrahamyan, Head of the Alerting Support Division of the Crisis Management Department of the MIA 112 Operational Management Centre, they discussed the specific aspects of crisis communication, the role of young volunteers and opportunities for their involvement in ensuring public safety.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants formed organising groups to coordinate further work within the Youth Council in the designated areas and advance joint initiatives.

The workshop was held within the framework of the “Accountable, Effective and Gender-responsive Institutional Systems for Policing and Rescue Service in Armenia” (AEGIS) project, implemented jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), with funding from the European Union.