The CSO-Government online conference was held on 27 November in the framework of the “Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia” project. The Monitoring Results of the Action Plan for 2020-2022 Deriving from National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights were presented during the conference.
The participants first observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Artsakh war unleashed by Azerbaijan on 27 September.
Ms Syuzanna Soghomonyan, “Promoting Direct Democracy for Strengthening Human Rights in Armenia” Project Manager/Fellow of the “Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility” Project of the EU, informed that she was awarded the fellowship to implement the monitoring of the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights. She also said that she received professional assistance from the Armenian Lawyers’ Association in carrying out the monitoring. A number of government agencies, CSOs, lawyers and advocates provided assistance in carrying out the monitoring activities as well.
Mr. Gonzalo Serrano, Head of Cooperation Section of the European Delegation to Armenia, noted that they got acquainted with the English version of the report. “It will be very interesting to hear your assessment of the progress of the issues under discussion. At the end I read the summary and realized that all areas of human rights are covered, from the right to life to the prohibition of torture and access to services,” Mr Gonzalo Serrano said.
Ms Kristinne Grigoryan, the RA Deputy Minister of Justice, welcoming and appreciating the positive results of the Government-CSO cooperation, thanked for drawing up the report and the correct professional approach. “We have had our voice to say, to provide information, believing that we need such exercises much more in order to see our gaps and problems from the side with a third eye, to plan our actions in the best way. In my opinion, a very good report has been received. I can say that taking into account the experiences of the Human Rights Action Plans, this is an exceptionally exemplary report,” the Deputy Minister said.
She noted that it is important to speak and focus on the challenges in the sphere, in particular the coronavirus epidemic, the Artsakh war unleashed by Azerbaijan on 27 September.
“The monitoring was carried out in good faith and with high professional standards,” Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO said, noting the cooperation with other civil society structures, state bodies and other actors.
Speaking about the existing challenges, Mr. Zadoyan mentioned, “We have a different reality after 27 September and the National Strategy of Human Rights and Action Plan must change fundamentally, taking into account the new realities. Citizens who immigrated from Artsakh have various problems of protection of their rights: humanitarian, social, psychological, legal, etc. It is very important and I appeal to our international partners to invest their own efforts: the return of prisoners and captive civilians to the Republic of Armenia.”
Ms Syuzanna Soghomonyan presented the evidence based report developed on the basis of the monitoring results of the Action Plan for 2020-2022 deriving from National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights.
“I started the activities in the scope of the fellowship in May of this year, but I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the field and research work envisaged by the methodology of the monitoring started in June and ended in mid-August. In other words, the report does not include the gross human rights violations that we witnessed during the Artsakh war. In fact, the main result of this discussion should be to start changing the priorities in the field of human rights in Armenia, In fact, the main result of this discussion should be to start the changes of priorities in the sphere of human rights in Armenia,” Syuzanna Soghomonyan said.