The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia continues the monitoring of assemblies, mass media and social media platforms.
The current results of the monitoring show that juveniles participate in assemblies, exercising their rights guaranteed by the RA legislation.
At the same time, the Defender records that videos with participation of children made in public areas, are being widely disseminated via the Internet. Even though the actions of presumably preschool children are not linked to any assemblies, they are copying the calls of a political nature of bypassers and adults participating in assemblies and marches. In this regard, the Defender specifically informs:
● According to RA legislation and international conventions, children have the right to participate in assemblies. International principles and the child-centered approach require constant guidance in the best interests of the child.
Though no legal norm determines a minimum age threshold for children to participate in assemblies, the fundamental principle of respect for the child's evolving capacities requires considering the ability of a child to exercise his or her own rights in case of any assessment or action related to a child.
The importance is that the state, as well as any institution with a mandate in children's rights, whether public or private, must guarantee the environment, assuring the child’s normal development in accordance with his or her age and abilities. Only in this way can the individuality and independence of a child be truly respected.
● In this regard, the 2018 annual report recorded that the principle of a child’s participation declares the latter's potential in terms of facilitating decision-making, sharing his/her perspectives and participating as a citizen and player in change. At the same time, according to the international legal approaches, a child's participation is not genuine if the child does not have the opportunity to understand the impact and consequences of his or her opinion expressed, as well as in cases when a child's concerns and recommendations do not become the subject of examination.
● Ensuring the children’s safety, including respect for their dignity, should be of the highest value for all, regardless of their social or societal status. In this regard, the Defender specifically states that it is also problematic the fact that various videos with children's participation are being widely disseminated on the Internet with comments where the dignity of children is being obviously violated. For example, there are cases of hate speech targeting children and their families indirectly and making them more vulnerable.
This is extremely dangerous, both in terms of protecting children's rights and building public solidarity.
● Thus, the Defender urges all users to refrain from sharing videos, photos, and comments that directly or indirectly violate children's rights. In this regard, the Defender highlights specifically the role and activities of journalists in jointly combating violations of the best interest of the child.
The Defender specifically calls for refraining from sharing such videos, removing comments targeting children from websites controlled by the media. We pay special attention to the extra vigilance and delicacy in the selection of headings through guiding by the "Do not harm" principle and the highest professional ethics standards.
We specifically state that this statement is not aimed at limiting children's right to participate in assemblies or limiting journalists’ activities - but is only aimed at protecting children's rights and freedoms.
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