On
April 10, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Anahit
Manasyan, participated in the two-day discussion entitled “Promoting Human
Rights in the Armed Forces of Armenia” on the initiative of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Armenia with the support of the Geneva Centre for
Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and delivered an opening speech.
The
purpose of the event is to facilitate a discussion with stakeholders in the
fields of defense management and oversight on how to ensure and promote the
protection of human rights in the Armed Forces of Armenia."
The
Defender highlighted the effective cooperation established with the National
Assembly and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, within the
framework of which a number of important programs in the field of human rights
protection continue to be implemented. In her speech, Ms. Anahit Manasyan noted
that issues related to ensuring human rights in the Armed Forces and, in
general, in the security sector are among her persistent priorities.
In
this context, she emphasized that problems related to the protection of human
rights in the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia should be at the centre
of special attention.
"Individual
complaints addressed to me, alerts received via the hotline, our visits to
military units and other military institutions for monitoring purposes, as well
as regular contacts with servicemen and their family members, provide an
opportunity to identify systemic and current problems and make them the subject
of discussion. We do not merely talk about the issues, but also propose
mechanisms for their solution. We consistently demonstrate a proactive approach
to the protection of human rights in the Armed Forces,” the Defender said.
Ms.
Anahit Manasyan specifically emphasized that both personally and
representatives of Human Rights Defender’s Office visit the Border Guard Troops
of the NSS, military units of the Ministry of Defense, military commissariats,
hospitals, combat positions, and attend sessions of medical commissions. In
addition, the Office has a professional subdivision - Department for the
protection of the rights of servicemen and their family members.
At
the same time, the Expert Council for the protection of the rights of
servicemen adjunct to the Human Rights Defender is an important and supportive
body in the sector, which includes representatives of civil society, attorneys,
and other experts familiar with the field.
Opening
remarks were also made by Mr. Armen Khachatryan, Deputy Chair of the Standing
Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly, and Mr. Rustam
Bakoyan, Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Rights Protection and
Public Affairs of the National Assembly. The Deputy Head of Europe and Central
Asia Division of the Operations Department at Geneva Centre for Security Sector
Governance (DCAF) Ms. Antje Fritz, made an introductory speech.
Panel
discussions were also held during the first day of the meeting. The panel
discussion on the topic “Strengthening Ombudsman Institutions to Support the
Prevention of Human Rights Violations” was chaired by Ms. Anahit Manasyan.
As
speakers Mr. Andranik Yeghoyan, Head of the Department for the Protection of
the Rights of Servicemen and Their Family members of the Human Rights
Defender’s Office, Ms. Robyn Hynes, Interim Ombud for the Department of
National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) (via video call) and
Dania Hadi, and former National Ombudsman of the Republic of Serbia, Saša
Janković delivered speeches during the panel.
They
discussed issues related to the role of Ombudsman institutions in ensuring
human rights protection, effective oversight, and accountability in the armed
forces.
Reference
was made to the efforts of the Human Rights Defender's Office in the field, the
exchange of international experience, as well as the peculiarities of various
institutional approaches aimed at ensuring independent oversight of the armed
forces.
The
event is being held on April 10-11 in Tsaghkadzor, and was attended by deputies
of the National Assembly, representatives of relevant government bodies, civil
society, international organizations, and the Office of the Human Rights
Defender.
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