RA Human Rights Defender, CoE rep synchronize their meetings on  bilateral cooperation agenda

ArmInfo. At a meeting with a delegation led by Claus Neukirch, Director of Programme Coordination  of the Council of Europe, the Armenian Ombudsman, Anahit Manasyan, emphasized the close, stable, and effective cooperation established with the CoE, noting the important role of Council of Europe programs  in developing the human rights protection system in Armenia.

According to the press service of the Armenian Ombudsman, a number of  important issues were discussed during the meeting, including those  related to women, children, persons with disabilities, national  minorities, the protection of rights in the armed forces, social  rights, the right to healthcare, and several other areas. In this  context, Manasyan emphasized the importance of the councils operating  under the auspices of the Human Rights Defender, in which civil  society representatives participate. The importance of combating  incitement to hatred and intolerance was also touched upon,  particularly in the run-up to parliamentary elections. The Human  Rights Defender of Armenia expressed concern about the spread of  discriminatory and hate speech on various grounds, noting that such  phenomena are particularly prevalent during the pre-election period  and require appropriate action.

The draft law "On Prevention and Protection from Discrimination" and  the challenges in this area were also mentioned. Manasyan emphasized  the need for the swift adoption of the law and the institutional  strengthening of the Human Rights Defender's office, noting the  importance of the state providing sufficient human, technical, and  financial resources to fully implement the mandate.

At the end of the meeting, the parties commended the long-standing  and effective cooperation between the Defender's staff and the  Council of Europe in the field of human rights protection and  outlined areas for expanding cooperation.