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Panorama, Armenia
June 16 2011
A. Bakhshyan: `Establishment of Children's ombudsmen institution in
Armenia is underway'
`Under the Constitution, our state is limited to basic human and civil
rights and freedoms as a directly applicable law. In this context, in
1992 Armenia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
assuming readiness to prioritize child protection issues and to
include them into the national projects,' member of the Heritage
parliamentary faction Anahit Bakhshyan said at the parliamentary
conference of CIS, Central and Eastern Europe states on protection of
the rights of vulnerable children.
The conference has been initiated by the National Assembly, UNICEF,
jointly with the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Within the upcoming three
days, delegates from different countries, deputies, ombudsmen,
children's rights experts and others will discuss everything directly
concerning protection of children's rights in the context of the
parliament's activities.
Mrs. Bakhshyan presented the delegates the development of the field in
Armenia. Further, she reminded that in 1996, our country elaborated
and adopted Children Rights law which stipulated the implementation of
the Convention and our country's commitments. However, `the lack of a
comprehensive mechanism for the exercise of children's rights in our
country, just like in the whole world, was slowing down the process of
complete protection of children's rights. That's why Armenia, just
like the other Member States of the United Nations, elaborated a
National Project on Protection of Children's Rights for 2004-2015.
This project aimed to introduce the new reform of the children's
rights protection field to secure the rights stipulated in the
Convention,' she noted.
Besides, in 2005, under the order of Armenian Prime Minister, National
Commission for Child Protection was established, as a mechanism to
secure the state policy of children's rights and interests,
immediately followed by opening of children's ombudsman offices in the
regions. In 2010, family, women and children protection offices were
established, thus a children's ombudsman three-level system was
introduced in Armenia, including national, regional and communal
levels.
"But we should emphasize that the three-level system is formal, and is
not efficient, it is not a full mechanism of Children's Ombudsman,
because the system responds to the needs of the child only when the
child is already in a difficult situation, while it should act as an
early intervention and prevention mechanism. This is the problem and
challenge for Armenia. In this respect, the National Assembly and the
government as well as the international organizations and others have
much to do," the MP said.
According to her, the most important role of the parliament is not
only adoption of the laws and ratification of international
conventions, but also adoption of mechanisms established by laws, by
which the implementation of the laws is conditioned. The Parliament
should pursue the establishment of the mechanism of independent
monitoring of the Children's Ombudsman implementation. And in that
sense it is important that the creation and establishment of
Children's Ombudsman Institution serve as such mechanism, because:
"Only in this case it will be possible to monitor the implementation
of the national project of Children's Ombudsman and to report it to
the National Assembly."
By the way, the Children's Ombudsman institution was expected to be
established in Armenia in 2001, but the above mentioned three-level
system was created instead, which in fact cannot be an independent
mechanism for the implementation of the Convention.
Mrs. Bakhshyan added that today the establishment of this institution
is already underway, it must be established within the Ombudsman's
Office.
Norway is the country where the first Children's Ombudsman institution
was established.
In addition to this, Mrs. Bakhshyan also presented the delegates other
mechanisms of children's ombudsman that operate in Armenia. For
example, the mechanism required by the General Education law and
ensuring the participation of parents, which is a contract between
parents and school headmaster, which exactly stipulates the rights of
the child, etc.
June 16 2011
A. Bakhshyan: `Establishment of Children's ombudsmen institution in
Armenia is underway'
`Under the Constitution, our state is limited to basic human and civil
rights and freedoms as a directly applicable law. In this context, in
1992 Armenia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
assuming readiness to prioritize child protection issues and to
include them into the national projects,' member of the Heritage
parliamentary faction Anahit Bakhshyan said at the parliamentary
conference of CIS, Central and Eastern Europe states on protection of
the rights of vulnerable children.
The conference has been initiated by the National Assembly, UNICEF,
jointly with the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Within the upcoming three
days, delegates from different countries, deputies, ombudsmen,
children's rights experts and others will discuss everything directly
concerning protection of children's rights in the context of the
parliament's activities.
Mrs. Bakhshyan presented the delegates the development of the field in
Armenia. Further, she reminded that in 1996, our country elaborated
and adopted Children Rights law which stipulated the implementation of
the Convention and our country's commitments. However, `the lack of a
comprehensive mechanism for the exercise of children's rights in our
country, just like in the whole world, was slowing down the process of
complete protection of children's rights. That's why Armenia, just
like the other Member States of the United Nations, elaborated a
National Project on Protection of Children's Rights for 2004-2015.
This project aimed to introduce the new reform of the children's
rights protection field to secure the rights stipulated in the
Convention,' she noted.
Besides, in 2005, under the order of Armenian Prime Minister, National
Commission for Child Protection was established, as a mechanism to
secure the state policy of children's rights and interests,
immediately followed by opening of children's ombudsman offices in the
regions. In 2010, family, women and children protection offices were
established, thus a children's ombudsman three-level system was
introduced in Armenia, including national, regional and communal
levels.
"But we should emphasize that the three-level system is formal, and is
not efficient, it is not a full mechanism of Children's Ombudsman,
because the system responds to the needs of the child only when the
child is already in a difficult situation, while it should act as an
early intervention and prevention mechanism. This is the problem and
challenge for Armenia. In this respect, the National Assembly and the
government as well as the international organizations and others have
much to do," the MP said.
According to her, the most important role of the parliament is not
only adoption of the laws and ratification of international
conventions, but also adoption of mechanisms established by laws, by
which the implementation of the laws is conditioned. The Parliament
should pursue the establishment of the mechanism of independent
monitoring of the Children's Ombudsman implementation. And in that
sense it is important that the creation and establishment of
Children's Ombudsman Institution serve as such mechanism, because:
"Only in this case it will be possible to monitor the implementation
of the national project of Children's Ombudsman and to report it to
the National Assembly."
By the way, the Children's Ombudsman institution was expected to be
established in Armenia in 2001, but the above mentioned three-level
system was created instead, which in fact cannot be an independent
mechanism for the implementation of the Convention.
Mrs. Bakhshyan added that today the establishment of this institution
is already underway, it must be established within the Ombudsman's
Office.
Norway is the country where the first Children's Ombudsman institution
was established.
In addition to this, Mrs. Bakhshyan also presented the delegates other
mechanisms of children's ombudsman that operate in Armenia. For
example, the mechanism required by the General Education law and
ensuring the participation of parents, which is a contract between
parents and school headmaster, which exactly stipulates the rights of
the child, etc.