“In 2025, with the dawn of peace, good governance is increasingly a priority for the citizens of Armenia and Azerbaijan” – commonspace.eu

Report on Armenian-Azerbaijani Thematic Dialogue on Good Governance

A thematic group focused on Good Governance, as part of a new Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue initiative, has finalized and presented its report to the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The report outlines a vision for regional development through 2040, with a significant focus on principles that directly align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Dialogue Composition and Leadership

The consensus achieved by the group was attributed to the effective leadership of its Chair and Deputy Chair.

Armenian Delegation

• Sargis Harutyunyan (Chair)
• Nare Aramyan
• Eleonora Sargsyan
• Hakob Karapetyan
• Robert Ghevondyan

Azerbaijani Delegation

• Ramazan Samadov (Deputy Chair)
• Laman Nasirli
• Yalchin Mammadov
• Sabina Huseinova
• Beyrek Hajiyev
• Anar Eyubov

Vision for 2040: Advancing SDG 16 in the South Caucasus

The report establishes a forward-looking vision where good governance becomes a primary focus in a post-conflict era. This vision is fundamentally aligned with the targets of SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, which aims to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

The core principles outlined for the region by 2040 include:

• Transparency and proactive disclosures
• Openness and accountability in governance
• Equal access to public services
• Data protection for all citizens
• Responsive and empowering governance systems

The group asserts that developing these governance systems in parallel will be mutually reinforcing, contributing to trust-building and making peace irreversible, a cornerstone of SDG 16.

Recommendations for Immediate Cooperation and SDG Implementation

The report identifies technical cooperation as a viable and immediate pathway to build trust and advance shared development objectives. These entry points for collaboration support multiple SDGs.

Identified Areas for Initial Cooperation

1. Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Management: This area of cooperation directly supports SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by fostering joint efforts to build regional resilience against environmental challenges.
2. Digital Governance: Enhancing digital services promotes efficiency and transparency, contributing to the targets of SDG 16 on effective institutions and combating corruption. It also improves equitable service delivery, a key component of sustainable communities.

To facilitate these initiatives, the report recommends establishing a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) in each country. This institutional bridge would foster sustained dialogue and trust, embodying the principles of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Conclusion: A Foundation for Sustained Dialogue

The report is positioned not as a final declaration but as the commencement of a necessary and prolonged discussion on good governance between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This initiative serves as a foundational step in framing a cooperative future aimed at building better societies and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals across the South Caucasus.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in thearticle?

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article is fundamentally about establishing “Good Governance” as a cornerstone for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It explicitly mentions that “with the dawn of peace, good governance is increasingly a priority for the citizens of the two countries.”
• It focuses on building trust and making peace irreversible through transparent, accountable, and responsive institutions. The report’s vision includes “transparency, proactive disclosures, openness, accountability,” which are central tenets of SDG 16.
• The initiative aims to “contribute towards building trust between the two sides, and to make peace irreversible,” directly aligning with the goal of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The entire article describes a partnership initiative, the “New Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue,” which brought together individuals from both countries to work on a common vision.
• It highlights the importance of cooperation, stating that a system developed in parallel “will be mutually re-enforcing.”
• The article identifies specific areas for immediate cooperation, such as “Environmental monitoring, disaster management, and digital governance,” and proposes creating an “institutional bridge for sustained dialogue and trust building,” which embodies the spirit of partnership for sustainable development.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities & SDG 13: Climate Action

• These goals are connected through the specific entry points for cooperation identified in the article. The mention of “disaster management” as a potential area for immediate collaboration directly relates to creating resilient communities (SDG 11).
• Similarly, identifying “Environmental monitoring” as another entry point for cooperation connects to the broader goals of climate action and environmental protection (SDG 13).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The article’s vision for the South Caucasus is one of “transparency, proactive disclosures, openness, accountability,” and building on “positive achievements in recent years, including in transparency.” This directly reflects the aim of Target 16.6.
2. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The article mentions the goal of a “governance system that responds to the needs of citizens and empowers them,” which aligns with the principles of responsive and participatory governance in Target 16.7.
3. Target 16.5: Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms. The report acknowledges the importance of building on achievements in “the fight against corruption,” which is the core focus of Target 16.5.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships. The dialogue itself, involving Armenian and Azerbaijani group members, is a multi-stakeholder partnership aimed at achieving common goals, as described in the article.
2. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The thematic group is a clear example of a civil society partnership, as highlighted by the list of members from both nations working together. The proposal to establish a “Single Point of Contact (SPOC) in each country” is a mechanism to facilitate such partnerships.

SDG 11 & SDG 13

1. Target 11.b: …implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels. The identification of “disaster management” as an immediate area for cooperation directly supports the implementation of this target on a bilateral basis.
2. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change… Cooperation on “Environmental monitoring” is a foundational step towards building institutional capacity for climate action and environmental protection, as outlined in this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Progress in combating corruption: The article mentions the “fight against corruption” as a key area. Progress could be measured by tracking national anti-corruption indices or public perception surveys on corruption, which are implied indicators for Target 16.5.
2. Level of public satisfaction with services: The goal of “delivery of equitable services to citizens” and a system that “responds to the needs of citizens” implies that citizen satisfaction surveys could be used as an indicator to measure the effectiveness and responsiveness of institutions (Target 16.6 & 16.7).
3. Existence of transparent and open governance mechanisms: The emphasis on “transparency, proactive disclosures, openness” implies that the implementation of open data policies or freedom of information laws could serve as measurable indicators.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Establishment of formal cooperation mechanisms: The proposal to establish a “Single Point of Contact (SPOC) in each country” is a concrete, measurable indicator of progress in building institutional partnerships (Target 17.17).
2. Number and scope of joint initiatives: The successful implementation of cooperative projects in the identified areas of “Environmental monitoring, disaster management, and digital governance” would be a direct indicator of the effectiveness of the partnership (Target 17.16).

SDG 11 & SDG 13

1. Development of joint management plans: For disaster management (Target 11.b), an indicator would be the creation of a joint or coordinated disaster response plan between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
2. Establishment of shared monitoring systems: For environmental monitoring (Target 13.3), a key indicator would be the establishment and operation of a shared data platform or joint monitoring protocols.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: commonspace.eu