On September 22, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia Ms.
Anahit Manasyan participated in parliamentary hearings in the National Assembly
on the topic "The essence of legislative drafts in circulation related to
sphere of child rights protection. The state policy on child rights protection”.
The discussion was initiated by the Standing Committee on
Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs of the National Assembly. It was
attended by Members of Parliament, heads and representatives of state bodies,
international partners, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and
other stakeholders.
In her speech, Ms. Anahit Manasyan referred to a number
of issues related to ensuring children's rights, emphasizing the importance of
implementing comprehensive legislative amendments in the sphere: “The problems
related to children’s rights in Armenia are diverse, and it is very important
to address them properly. In this context, I emphasize the existence of a
package of legislative projects. It is encouraging that today we can deal with
at least the process of developing solutions, which shows the commitment in the
sphere,” stated the Defender.
Ms. Anahit Manasyan specifically referred to the need to
adopt systemic approaches and apply urgent measures in identifying, preventing
and responding to cases of violence against children. “Violence against a child
can manifest in different ways. We are accustomed to talk about physical
violence, but we must also take into account other forms of violence, which are
no less dangerous and widely spread.”
As the next important direction, the Defender highlighted
the transformation of the child protection system, specifically referring to
the activity of guardianship and trusteeship bodies: “It is clear that a
systemic transformation and capacity development of these bodies is necessary
to fully ensure the best interests of children.”
The Human Rights Defender also emphasized that many of
the problems related to children's rights are due to the fact that the human
rights education system in Armenia does not correspond to modern international
standards: "It is very important to reform the human rights education
system, as many of the problems in the field are due to the fact that the
current education system does not correspond to modern standards and
international best practices. As a result, we often face obstacles to the
effective implementation and protection of human rights, which are a
consequence of the insufficient knowledge and skills of both representatives of
state bodies and professional communities. Therefore, the transformation of the
sectoral education system and the improvement of the skills of specialists are
essential.”
In conclusion, Ms. Anahit Manasyan emphasized that the
numerous problems in the protection of children's rights can be solved only
through joint efforts.
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