Armenia Assessment Report Final Draft IOM Armenia Comments

253 Pages·2011·3.44 MB·English

by  Kristina Galstyan

International Organization Organization for Security

for Migration and Co-operation in Europe

OSCE / IOM Assessment Report:

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ffoorr tthhee IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn ooff aann eePPaassssppoorrtt && IIDD CCaarrdd

iinn tthhee RReeppuubblliicc ooff AArrmmeenniiaa

Delivered within the framework of IOM‟s project:

“Support to the Armenian Government in Introduction of Identity

and Travel Documents with Biometrical Parameters”

International Organization for IOM Mission in Armenia: OSCE Secretariat Action against
Migration Headquarters: Terrorism Unit
UN House 14 Petros Adamian Street,
17 Route des Morillons CH-1211 1st floor Yerevan o010 Armenia Wallnerstrasse 6 1010 Vienna
Geneva 19 Switzerland Austria
Tel.: [phone] 58 37 86
Tel.: [phone] Fax: (+41 22) Fax: [phone] E-mail: Tel.: [phone] Fax: (+43
798 6150 Email: [email protected] [email protected] 1) 514 36 6887 [email protected]
http://www.iom.int http://www.iom.int/armenia http://www.osce.org
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Contents
List of Acronyms used .................................................................................................. 4
I. Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 6
II. Background .............................................................................................................. 8
III. Introduction to eArmenia .................................................................................... 12
IV. Document Upgrade Programmes ........................................................................ 13
V. Recommendations .................................................................................................. 15
VI. Next Steps for the Needs Assessment Report ..................................................... 19
VII. Annexes ................................................................................................................ 20
Annex 1—Draft Terms of Reference for ePassport ................................................. 22
Annex 2. IOM Project Document “Support to the Armenian Government in Introduction
of Identity and Travel Documents with Biometrical Parameters
Annex 3. IOM Needs Assessment Report on Migration Management in Armenia
Annex 4. President’s Concept Paper,15 March 2008
Annex 5. Prime Minister’s Decision, June 2009
Annex 6. Draft Law on the Passport of the Citizen of the RA
Annex 7. Draft Law on the ID Cards
Annex 8. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Public Key Infrastructure
(PKI) Paper
Annex 9. Draft Law on Protection of Personal Data
Annex 10. Draft Law on Public Services Code (in Armenian only)
Annex 11. Draft Amendment to the RA Law on State Register of Population (in
Armenian only)
Annex 12. Draft Amendment to the RA Law on Civil Status Acts (in Armenian only)
Annex 13. Draft Amendment to the RA Law on Citizenship (in Armenian only)
Annex 14. Draft Amendment to the RA Code of Administrative Violations (in Armenian
only)
Annex 15. Draft Amendment to the RA Law on State Border (in Armenian only)
Annex 16. Draft Amendment to the RA Law on the Border Guards Troops (in Armenian
only)
Annex 17. Armenia eGovernment / eSociety Roadmap: 2009 to 2014
Annex 18. Agenda of the Needs Assessment Mission.
Annex 19. Brief on Conception of ID cards in Armenia from the Ministry of Economy
and the Central Bank.
Annex 20. Brief Description of IOM’s and OSCE’s experiences in similar activities.
Annex 21. Revised Notional Timeline.
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List of Acronyms used

ASF/SLTD Interpol‟s Automated Search Facility for Stolen / Lost Travel Documents
ATU OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit
CC EAL Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level
COTS Commercial off-the-Shelf items
CSCA Country Signing Certification Authority
DS Document Signer
EAC Encrypted access copntrol
eMRP Electronic Machine Readable Passport
ENP European Neighbourhood Policy
EU European Union
FBI United States Federal Bureau of Investigation
FIND Fixed Interpol Network Database
IC Integrated Circuit
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
ICT Information and communication technology
IEC International Electro-technical Commission
IOM International Organization for Migration
ISO International Organization for Standardization
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group, method of compression for photographic images
MIND Mobile Interpol Network Database
MoFA Republic of Armenia Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MRTD Machine Readable Travel Document
MRZ machine-readable zone
NSS Republic of Armenia National Security Service
OCR Optical Character Recognition
OJSC Open Joint Stock Company
OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
PDIU Project Development and Implementation Unit, IOM Mission in Armenia
PIU Project Implementation Unit
PKD Public Key Directory
PKI Public Key Infrastructure
QA Quality assurance
RA Republic of Armenia
SMT Scars, marks and tattoos
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TCC IOM Technical Cooperation Centre for Europe and Central Asia
TCM IOM Division for Technical Cooperation on Migration
ToR Terms of References
UN United Nations
US United States
UV Ultraviolet
VIZ visual inspection zone
WSQ Wavelet Scalar Quantization

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I. Executive Summary

On 15-19 June 2009, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) co-organized a needs assessment
mission in the Republic of Armenia with the goal of providing recommendations and
guidance for the development of a National Action Plan for the introduction of an
electronic passport and an ID card. The Assessment was conducted upon the request of
the Government of Armenia within the framework of the project “Support to the
Armenian Government in Introduction of Identity and Travel Documents with
Biometrical Parameters,” which has been developed by IOM on the request of the
Armenian Police.

The Republic of Armenia has developed very ambitious plans to introduce both a new
electronic Machine Readable Passport (eMRP or ePassport) and an electronically enabled
identity (ID) card, both of which are envisaged to be issued on a pilot basis in January
2010. The genesis for this concept originates in a March 2008 Order from the President
of the Republic of Armenia “On the Conception for Migration System of the Republic of
Armenia and for Introduction of the System of Electronic Passports and Identification
Cards with Biometric Parameters in the Republic of Armenia.” This Presidential Order
calls for the introduction of highly secure travel and identity documents, in line with
international standards, as mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution
1373, which decided that all States shall “Prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist
groups by effective border controls and controls on issuance of identity papers and travel
documents, and through measures for preventing counterfeiting, forgery or fraudulent
use of identity papers and travel documents.”

Armenia‟s decision to upgrade its passport and to introduce a new ID card, and to engage
IOM with these plans, stems in part from the country‟s dialogue and relationship with the
European Union (EU). In particular the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action
Plan for Armenia sets the facilitation of movement and introduction of electronic
documents with biometric identifiers as an important milestone for Armenia. The ENP
specifically notes that Armenia and the EU “Co-operate to improve security of travel
documents and visa in conformity with international standards, including the introduction
of biometric features in passports.” The EU‟s newly forged Eastern Partnership has
reinforced the impetus for Armenia to upgrade its passport.

To assess Armenia‟s needs and requirements, the OSCE/IOM needs assessment mission
assembled a team of experts, including a lead international consultant with extensive
international experience. The team spent a very intensive in-country period of time
meeting with a substantive cross-section of the Government‟s subject matter
professionals, listening to and questioning numerous presentations, visiting border
inspection and headquarters, personalization facilities, reviewing planning documents,
and interacting as a cohesive body to assess and formulate recommended conclusions.
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This report summarizes the work of these experts and serves as a National Action Plan
for the Government of Armenia to use when introducing new documents. The 43
recommendations compiled in this report cut across the following areas of focus:
Technical; Policy and Procedure; ID Card; Passport; Overlapping With Both ID Card and
Passport; and, Future.

The joint recommendations of this report are based on the relevant Parts and Volumes of
the International Civil Aviation Organization‟s (ICAO) Doc 9303 on Machine Readable
Travel Documents. ICAO‟s mandate and leadership role in the development of standards
and specifications for passports and other travel documents stems from the Convention
on Civil Aviation which includes provisions for clearance of persons through border
controls. The recommendations also incorporate the regional standards and specifications
developed by the EU for use of fingerprints in electronic travel documents.

The discussions with the interlocutors in Armenia from 15-19 June determined that the
centres of gravity for the introduction of new identity and travel documents lie with the
Police, Ministry of Economy and the Central Bank. At present, the Police are the issuing
authority for the passport and also have the purview over enrolment at 61 Police stations
nationwide and adjudication based on the Population Register, which it maintains. Both
the upgraded passport (to be issued as an ePassport) and the completely new ID card will
be centrally personalized by the Police in Yerevan. Enrolment for the ID card will also
take place at the 61 Police stations and will also be adjudicated on the basis of the
Population Register.

The Central Bank and the Ministry of Economy are the driving forces behind Armenia‟s
overall strategic eGovernance plans, of which the introduction of the new ID card is a
vital component. Since the ID card is foreseen to have multiple domestic functions for
purposes related to health care, taxation, banking, etc., its introduction is a strategic
vehicle to bring eGovernance functions to the citizenry. To co-ordinate the introduction
of the ID card, an eGovernance Infrastructure Implementation Unit (or Project
Implementation Unit/PIU) has been created under the auspices of the Ministry of
Economy as an open joint stock company. Due to its expertise in the area of Public Key
Infrastructure (PKI), which is needed to establish secure validation of electronically
enabled forms of identification, co-operation between the PIU and the Police is
absolutely vital for the smooth introduction of both the ePassport and the electronic ID
card.

Armenian plans for its new ePassport envisage that the chip will store the facial image
and four fingerprints as biometric identifiers. Whereas previously the passport served as
both a travel document and an internal form of identification these functions will now be
split between the new ePassport and the ID card, which at present is not foreseen to be
used for travel and its chip will not contain a facial image or fingerprints of the bearer.
Instead the ID card‟s main purposes will be to perform domestic functions related to
health care, taxation and banking. For these purposes, the ID card will need to have an
electronic data storage medium and, like the passport, make use of PKI, which will allow
the Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA) to validate the document and, as a
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corollary, the authenticity of its bearer. Both upgrade projects have identity data
management ramifications for the Population Register and the Civil Register, as well as
border control, overall interoperability and security.

II. Background

The project “Support to the Armenian Government in Introduction of Identity and Travel
Documents with Biometrical Parameters” (hereafter Project) responds to a request made
in 2008 by Armenia to IOM to provide relevant technical assistance. The Project has set
overarching objective of enhancing migration management capabilities and capacities of
Armenia, in particular related to biometric technology and information. The expected
outputs of the Project are: (a) raised awareness of the key government officials in the
field of electronic Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTDs) with biometric
identifiers; and (b) development of a National Action Plan to introduce an ePassport and
an ID card in the Republic of Armenia.

The Project has as its premise that the introduction of an ePassport with biometric
identifiers will facilitate the freedom of movement of Armenian citizens and enhance the
country‟s migration management capacities. To set the foundation in the field of
migration management, the IOM produced a comprehensive Needs Assessment Report
on Migration Management in Armenia in 2008. The Project also aims at providing
detailed analyses of the existing policies, procedures and practices, infrastructure,
technical and human resource capacity, and equipment pertaining to travel documents
development, issuance and usage in the Republic of Armenia.

Armenia‟s decision to implement an ePassport and to introduce a new ID card stems in
part from its dialogue and relationship with the EU, in particular its Neighbourhood
Policy (ENP). The ENP Action Plan for Armenia sets the facilitation of movement and
introduction of electronic documents with biometric identifiers as an important milestone
for Armenia. The ENP specifically notes that Armenia and the EU “Co-operate to
improve security of travel documents and visa in conformity with international standards,
including the introduction of biometric features in passports.”1 The EU‟s newly forged
Eastern Partnership has reinforced the impetus for Armenia to upgrade its passport.

Furthermore, the Project is in support of the Presidential Decree of the Republic of
Armenia # NK-53-A dated March 15, 2008 “On the Conception for Migration System of
the Republic of Armenia and for Introduction of the System of Electronic Passports and
Identification Cards with Biometric Parameters in the Republic of Armenia.” The
President‟s decree served as a basis for the development of IOM‟s Project and was
drafted by an Inter-Agency Task Force of the Government‟s subject matter professionals
and endorsed by the President of the Republic of Armenia. The Task Force is comprised

1 “European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan for Armenia.” Section 4. Cooperation in the Field
of Justice, Freedom and Security. Provision 4.5.2, under the point “Facilitate the movement of persons.”
The 5-year ENP was adopted in Brussels at the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council on November 14, 2006.
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of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Police, Ministry of Territorial Administration‟s
Migration Agency, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, National Security Service
and the President‟s Office.

To achieve its objectives and purposes, the Project delivered expert advice and training
activities to provide relevant Government personnel with information on biometrics that
would enhance technical understanding. Ultimately the recommendations made in this
proposed Action Plan can serve as a roadmap for the introduction of an ePassport and ID
card in Armenia. The Assessment Team recommends that the key findings and
recommendations of the herein proposed Action Plan, including the annexed Terms of
Reference, shall be presented at a discussion gathering for all stakeholders from the
Armenian side, as well as IOM and OSCE representatives.

Furthermore, a study tour to an EU Member State or other European country with a
comparable context is scheduled for five senior Government staff who have direct
responsibilities in the implementation and technical management of the new ePassport
system. The study trip to a country which has experience with the introduction of
ePassports will help to ensure direct carry-on and application of information, experiences
and lessons-learnt from best-practice systems to Armenia.

Needs Assessment
The Assessment Team was comprised of an independent lead expert, Mr. Barry
Kefauver. Mr. Kefauver was accompanied and supported by ATU experts Mr.
Christopher Hornek and Mr. Samuel Reid, IOM Technical Cooperation official Ms.
Kristiina Lilleorg, as well as IOM Yerevan representatives Ms. Ilona Ter-Minasyan and
Ms. Kristina Galstyan.

The in-country discussions with the interlocutors in Armenia determined that the centres
of gravity for the introduction of an ePassport and ID card lie with the Police, Ministry of
Economy and the Central Bank, as well as the newly established eGovernance
Infrastructure Implementation Unit, a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) within the
Armenia‟s eGovernance Strategy.

The Assessment Team carried out extensive consultations with the representatives of all
pertinent Government agencies and international organizations. Meetings were held with
the following entities:
Police
Ministry of Economy
Central Bank
E-Governance Infrastructure Implementation Unit OJSC (or PIU)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)
National Security Service (NSS)
NSS Border Guard troops
Administration of the President of the Republic
Office of the Prime Minister / Cabinet Administration
Information Technologies Support Council at the Government
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INTERPOL Armenia National Central Bureau
Civil Aviation General Department
Ministry of Justice (Civil Status Acts Registration Agency)
State Revenue Committee
Ministry of Territorial Administration
National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and
Internal Affairs
OSCE Office in Yerevan
European Commission Delegation to Armenia
Embassy of Bulgaria
Embassy of the United States
Field visit to Yerevan Zvartnots Airport for a review of customs and passport
controls

The Assessment Team also consulted and made use of relevant legislation (both draft and
ratified). The following represents the key pieces of legislation that the National Action
Plan draws upon:
Presidential Decree of the Republic of Armenia # NK-53-A, 15 March 2008, “On
the Conception for Migration System of the Republic of Armenia and for
Introduction of the System of Electronic Passports and Identification Cards with
Biometric Parameters in the Republic of Armenia”
Decision of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia # 501A, 18 June 2009,
“On Approval of the Timeline of the Arrangements for Introduction of the System
of Electronic Passports and Identity Cards Containing Biometric Parameters”
Draft Law on Passport of the Citizen of Armenia
Draft Law on Identification Cards
Official letter by the Civil Aviation General Department on PKI to the Prime
Minister of Armenia of November 6, 2008
Draft Law on eGovernance
Draft Law on Protection of Personal Data
Draft Law on Public Services Code
Draft Amendment to the Republic of Armenia Law on State Register of
Population
Draft Amendment to the Republic of Armenia Law on Civil Status Acts
Draft Amendment to the Republic of Armenia Law on Citizenship
Draft Amendment to the Republic of Armenia Code of Administrative Violations
Draft Amendment to the Republic of Armenia Law on State Border
Draft Amendment to the Republic of Armenia Law on the Border Guards Troops

Project Executing Agency – IOM
The International Organization for Migration (IOM)2 is an inter-governmental
organization with 127 Member States and 17 Observer States (July 2009). Established in
1951, IOM has become the principal inter-governmental organization in the field of

2 For more information about IOM, please visit the following web-page: http://www.iom.int.
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