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Civil society in Armenia: from peak to decline in advocacy

Faced with rising populism, polarization, socio-economic challenges, and mounting geopolitical pressure, Armenia’s civil society remains one of the key pillars of the country’s democratic resilience. Having evolved from fragmented local initiatives into a relatively mature and thematically diverse institutional sector, NGOs are entitled to play a significant role in shaping public discourse, monitoring state reforms, protecting vulnerable groups, and developing expert capacity. At the same time, the sector faces serious and growing challenges.

September 27, 2025 - Arshaluis Mgdesyan - Hot TopicsIssue 5 2025Magazine

Following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Armenia’s civil society found itself in an ambiguous position. On the one hand, its capacities and influence expanded. On the other hand, the integration of some activists into state institutions weakened the sector’s independent oversight function. Initially, an informal consensus emerged between NGOs and the government, built on expectations of reform. However, it soon became clear that there was a gap between these expectations and the actual political practice. The reformist momentum slowed, criticism from NGOs began to be perceived as political pressure, while the NGOs continue to function based on new rules.

 Strengths and institutional achievements

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