Under a Democracy and Governance Indefinite Quantity Contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development, AMEX assisted the governments of Georgia and Armenia to draft and implement their administrative laws.

Although Armenia’s and Georgia’s legal systems are separate, they were similar. AMEX encouraged reformers from both nations to share their experiences and to benefit from the shared knowledge. In conjunction with the Center for International Legal Cooperation and with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), AMEX organized a seminar on administrative law and procedure in The Hague for lawyers and legislators from both Armenia and Georgia. The Armenians and Georgians described their current administrative conditions and the status of efforts to improve them. AMEX and its partners delivered a presentation on selected topics, including general introductions to administrative law and procedure, legal standards governing administrative agencies’ actions, the European Convention on Human Rights, and judicial review of administrative agencies’ actions.

In the Republic of Georgia, AMEX worked with the Center for International Cooperation, the Dutch Foreign Ministry, and GTZ to help the government of Georgia draft new administrative laws, conduct a thorough review and revision of the draft laws, and submit them to Parliament for adoption. Once Parliament adopted the laws, AMEX  assisted the government with implementation, which included agency reorganization, training of agency and judiciary personnel, publication of explanatory material, and public education.

In Armenia, AMEX guided the process of drafting administrative laws by providing assistance to a working group attached to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance and Economy. Once the laws were drafted, AMEX assisted with the review process prior to submission to the Armenian legislature for adoption.

In guiding administrative law reform in Armenia and Georgia, AMEX launched and managed processes that demonstrate many of the attributes that a sound administrative legal structure would guarantee, including transparency, consistency, and responsiveness.