20/10/2025 Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs | Transparency and Integrity
As part of a project funded by Germany to strengthen integrity and ethical standards in parliaments across Council of Europe member states, the Committee on Rules, Ethics and Immunities, in co-operation with the OSCE-ODIHR, organised a study visit for a delegation from the National Assembly of Armenia to the UK Houses of Parliament on 15-16 October 2025.
In London, the Armenian parliamentarians explored the UK Parliament’s framework for upholding ethical conduct and preventing corruption. Sessions examined the work of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, and the Committees on Standards and Privileges, illustrating Westminster’s approach to institutional independence and transparency. The delegation also met with Judith Cummins, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, to discuss the importance of the Speaker’s and Deputy Speaker’s independence in safeguarding parliamentary integrity and public confidence.
A key theme of the visit was the participative process of developing parliamentary codes of conduct, with participants, stressing the value of inclusive dialogue between government and opposition to ensure broad political ownership of ethical standards. The Armenian delegation shared insights into ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing accountability and openness in their parliament.
The programme included a meeting with David Meyer, President of GRECO (Group of States against Corruption), focusing on GRECO’s work, in particular on the priorities underlined in GRECO’s Fourth Evaluation Round in respect of parliamentarians.
