UN Resident Coordinator: Despite facing various challenges, Armenia  successfully  provided access to education for all children,  including those from Artsakh

ArmInfo.Despite the various challenges that the country has faced over the past five years, Armenia has been able to adjust and implement all the necessary legislative initiatives and strategies to safeguard children's  rights, guaranteeing access to education for all, including forcibly displaced children from Artsakh, as stated by UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Francoise Jacob at a hearing in the Armenian parliament on  children's rights on November 11.

In this regard, she presented four key areas in which joint work with  the Armenian side is planned. First of all,  she stated that the  creation of peace is essential for ensuring a balanced and safe  environment conducive that fosters development of children and shapes  their future. "We also need to pay special attention to vulnerable  groups. This issue was discussed at our meeting in Geneva. For  example, children from Nagorno-Karabakh with disabilities, as well as  those from poor or single-parent families. I have already met several  families with children who have disabilities and are struggling to  access the services they need," the coordinator noted.

Additionally, according to the UN official, it is important to  recognize new threats that impact all citizens, especially children.  In this context, she emphasized environmental and climate threats. "I  want to note that as winter approaches, we must accept the fact that  air pollution levels will increase.  This poses a direct threat to  children, who are more vulnerable in this regard than adults.  Therefore, this is a very important issue for both the country as a  whole and for individual cities," Francoise explained.

At the same time, she noted that there are also new threats that  existed before, but were not always properly reflected in previous  reports. "We are talking about hate speech and we have to be very  careful in our choice of words and in spreading misinformation. It  all affects us, and children are particularly vulnerable in this  regard," the UN Coordinator continued.  Touching on the latter point,  she stressed the importance of ensuring a healthy life for children  and drew attention to the fact that some children suffer from  malnutrition. "Therefore, we must promote healthy nutrition through  education by using information activities that require minimal effort  but can have a significant impact in this context," Jacob explained.  She also pointed out the need to work closely with all stakeholders,  including parliament, government representatives, the public and  local governments.

In this regard, the UN official noted that the next step for Armenia  should be the enforcement of the legislative framework,  implementation of strategies and dissemination of knowledge about  rights among society, as well as behavior change. According to her,  the UN is working with Armenia in various areas within the agenda,  including the protection of children's education, social protection,  the fight against poverty and maintaining health. "The UN continues  to support all relevant government bodies and public representatives  in Armenia to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and create a  better future for our children. In conclusion, I would like to note  that the fight for rights and equality is ongoing, so I hope for your  support and look forward to our collaborative efforts," the UN  Coordinator concluded.