‘’National Bureau of Expertises’’ State Non-Profit Organization of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

      
“National Bureau of Expertises” SNPO NAS RA was established by the Government Decision No 1127-N of 22 of July 2004 (amended and supplemented by the Government Decisions of No 867-N of 23 June 2005 and No 638-N of 11 June 2009) within the framework of the intergovernmental agreement “On Cooperation in Drug Control and Law Enforcement of June 11, 2001 between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Republic of Armenia”.

The location of the organization is 24 Admiral Isakov Avenue, Yerevan.

The main objectives of the organization are as follows:

• development, testing and implementation of modern scientific-experimental methods, scientific-technical resources in the field of expertise assigned by criminal prosecution and justice administration authorities;
• organization and performance of scientific-research, scientific-technical and scientific-experimental works aimed to ensure and improve expertise assigned by competent authorities;
• development and implementation of program-abstracts on themes necessary for realization of relevant scientific-educational activities aimed to organize education and training for those competent authorities, who have the responsibility to obtain initial data and are authorized to assign expertise;
• systematization of existing research methodologies, development of new methodologies, their testing and guarantee for applicability with the aim of ensuring the methodical unity of forensic expert research;
• performance of relevant scientific-educational activities for the purpose of education and training of specialists in the field of expertise, as well as development and making up of questionnaire in connection with confirmation of their qualification as prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia;
• study of causes and conditions generating crime, development of exact measures aimed to prevent crimes and connected with their implementation, preparation of appropriate suggestions for competent authorities and organization and realization of criminological research in different directions.

The subject of the organization’s activity is realization of scientific-research, scientific-educational, scientific-methodological, scientific-experimental and analytical works in the field of expertise carried out in accordance with the following five main functions set forth in the Statue:

• development, testing and implementation of advanced scientific-experimental methods in the field of expertise;
• organization and realization of expertise assigned by competent authorities;
• realization of additional educational programs: education and training of competent authorities who have the responsibility to obtain initial data and are authorized to assign expertise;
• development of methodology for regulation and evolvement of forensic expertise sphere;
• realization of additional educational programs: training and improvement of specialist of expert sphere, as well as confirmation of their qualification as prescribed by legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

In order to ensure and regulate proper organization of scientific work of the organization, Scientific Council has been functioning in the organization since July 10 2006, that consists of employees with academic degrees, as well as well-known scientists from other leading scientific organizations of the Republic of Armenia. 
Since 2005, Qualification Commission for Forensic Expert has been functioning in the organization in the system of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. The Qualification Commission has been formed by sub-point “e” of point 3 of the Government decision No 1127-N of July 22 2004 for confirmation of qualification of specialists in the field of expertise in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia. 
It is important to mention that the renovation of the organization's premises, equipping of expert laboratories with necessary and modern facilities, as well as professional training of the staff were carried out both at the expense of the RA state budget and the funds allocated by the US Government, through the US Embassy in the Republic of Armenia, as a result currently the National Bureau of Expertises is an expert organization with high quality professional potential. It is the largest one in the field of expertise, criminology and criminalistics in the Republic of Armenia and over 11,000 different forensic expertise are conducted annually in the operating expert departments with 26 expert types, about 122 expert subtypes and technological directions.
It should be noted that within scientific-practical sphere “National Bureau of Expertises” SNPO establishes close relations with a number of leading partner forensic organizations of the USA, EU, CIS and other countries. 
‘’National Bureau of Expertises’’ SNPO, being a full member of European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) since 2011, actively participates in the activities of the mentioned network. Particularly, activities aimed at acquisition and implementation of expert methods and methodologies accepted in the international practice are continuing, that greatly promote the continuous improvement of the quality of conducted expertise and the enhancement of reliability of the results. The organization is always aimed at improving and developing the possibilities of forensic sphere in our country in order to ensure the implementation of modern expert possibilities of international level in the Republic of Armenia.