On
May 16, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. Anahit
Manasyan, accompanied by representatives of the staff, paid a working visit to Tavush
region. The aim was to assess the state of human rights protection on site and
get acquainted with the existing issues.
Within
the framework of the visit, the Defender visited the Berd enlarged community,
where she held meetings with the head of the community, Ms. Astghik Hakobyan,
representatives of non-governmental organizations, members of the Guardianship
and Trusteeship commission, as well as citizens. The Defender also visited the
Berd Military Hospital.
Together
with the head of the community, issues related to the implementation of human
rights, the rights of children and persons with disabilities, as well as
socio-economic issues, were discussed. Reference was also made to the problems
of ensuring the rights of forcibly displaced persons, in particular, issues
related to housing, support programs, and children's attendance at school and
kindergarten.
The
employment challenges typical of border settlements were also discussed. Ms.
Anahit Manasyan reaffirmed her commitment to study the raised issues within the
framework of her mandate and propose appropriate solutions.
During
the meeting with the members of the Guardianship and Curatorship Committee, a
number of issues related to children's rights were discussed, including
children's right to live in a violence-free environment, ensuring the right to
education, formats for cooperation between competent authorities in this
process, etc.
Then,
the Defender toured the Berd Military Hospital. The conditions of medical care
and service for servicemen were examined. The Defender met with the servicemen
receiving treatment, got acquainted with their health problems, the course of
treatment and daily routine. Problems related to the treatment methods, access
to medication and a number of other issues related to the rights of servicemen
were discussed with the hospital management.
During
the visit, the Defender also visited the Berd office of Fund for Armenian
Relief (FAR) - the “Tavush” Foundation, got acquainted with the social support
programs implemented by the organization, spoke with the staff, emphasizing the
role of such initiatives in ensuring the social stability of the community.
Ms.
Anahit Manasyan also met with representatives of other NGOs and state bodies in
the community. A number of socio-economic issues related to the protection of
human rights in border settlements were discussed, including access to tax
benefits and tuition fee discounts, social support and guarantees for persons
forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as several matters concerning
the protection of children’s rights and the right to live in a family
environment.
The
defender highlighted the importance of holding such meetings and continuous
cooperation with civil society.
“I
believe that the problems existing in our country cannot be solved alone,
effective cooperation between state bodies and civil society organizations is
essential. I attach great importance to this work and always meet with the NGO
sector during regional visits,” said the Defender.
Meetings
were also held with about three dozen residents of the community, who presented
their concerns regarding the issues encountered when applying to various state
bodies, access to proper medical care, and the provision of social assistance
to forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh. Private interviews were
also conducted with some citizens.
The
Defender assured that necessary steps will be taken, within the scope of her
mandate, to support the resolution of the issues raised.
During
the working visit, the Defender also had a discussion with the Head of the
Tavush Regional Department of the Human Rights Defender’s Office, Mr. Erik
Tserunyan, regarding the procedures for examining citizens' applications, work
procedures, as well as the effectiveness of cooperation with state bodies.
The
regional visits of Human Rights Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan and her staff are
ongoing, with the aim of getting to know the problems on site and properly
addressing them.
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