Conference focuses on rights of national minorities and women in Armenia

The “Promoting Equality and Non-Discrimination in Armenia” program under the Partnership for Good Governance III (PGG III), in cooperation with the Human Rights Defender’s Office of Armenia, organized an expanded joint session-conference of two Public Councils under the Human Rights Defender: the Public Council on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons Belonging to National Minorities and the Public Council on Women’s Rights.

The conference followed the first session of the Human Rights Defender’s Council on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons Belonging to National Minorities, held on November 30, 2023, as well as the second session held on June 25, 2025.

In her remarks, Human Rights Defender of Armenia (Ombudsperson) Anahit Manasyan noted that issues related to the rights of national minorities and women have been at the center of attention of the institution under her leadership from the outset.

“These areas are a serious priority for us because we have carried out very serious and active work concerning the rights of national minorities and women. The platform of the councils that have been established is very important for the Human Rights Defender because it gives us the opportunity to keep the issues arising in various sectors in Armenia at the center of discussions with our civil society partners. This is important not only for making the voice of civil society heard, but also for involving them in our decision-making. All the issues raised by our partners are always a priority for us. These councils also play an important role in building a bridge between the state and civil society,” Manasyan said.

She added that the Human Rights Defender institution holds numerous discussions involving state bodies, which take place through communication in various formats and, by making the voice of civil society heard, also make NGOs part of the decision-making process.

“We conducted a very interesting study on, for example, the representation of women and persons belonging to national minorities in local self-government bodies in Armenia. It turned out that there are extremely few women in leadership positions in local self-government bodies. At present, we have only three women heading local self-government bodies, but their activities can serve as a good model for women in regional communities. We attach great importance to legislative regulations concerning the rights of national minorities and women,” Manasyan said.

Head of the Council of Europe Office in Armenia Maxime Longangué noted that all areas and dimensions of human rights are interconnected, which is an extremely important message. Therefore, it is truly necessary to have discussions of this kind, during which all aspects related to the rights of women and minorities can be considered.

“In previous years, we already supported two discussions during which a draft law on national minorities was developed. During that process, the Council of Europe provided certain support, particularly through the Venice Commission, as well as through the program being implemented here, so that discussions could be organized jointly with the Human Rights Defender and with the participation of various stakeholders, including the relevant committee of the National Assembly. We are eagerly awaiting this draft legislation finally reaching Parliament. We hope that all the recommendations of the Venice Commission will be taken into account and that this law will be adopted and fully implemented, not only in the interests of national minorities but in the interests of everyone. Such legislation is beneficial for the entire country,” Longangué said.

He added that considerable attention is currently being paid in Armenia to issues concerning women’s rights, particularly matters related to domestic violence. The issue has received significant attention in Armenia, which the Council of Europe truly welcomes. According to him, this is about participation, or rather, moving from participation to equal involvement. Declaring equal involvement a key principle is easy, but achieving and implementing it in practice is more difficult, he added.

“I hope that discussions of this kind will also inspire other women who want to become involved in decision-making processes, not only in politics but in decision-making in general. Our Gender Equality Strategy, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, in particular the fifth opinion on Armenia, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance’s general policy recommendation provide additional criteria. All of this, I believe, constitutes a substantial body of criteria,” Longangué said.

Deputy Head of the Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Armenia Václav Štěrba, in turn, noted that recent months and the past year have been extremely impressive in terms of how Armenia moved closer to Europe and how it built relations with the European Union, and how the EU cooperated with the Government of Armenia in bringing the “Crossroads of Peace” project into practice.

“We are working together to support Armenian businesses and promote Armenia’s trade with the European Union. The latest data actually show that Armenia’s trade with the European Union has increased significantly in recent times, and today the EU is Armenia’s second-largest trading partner. Previously, we were in third, fourth or fifth place. We are working vigorously with all partners, EU member states, toward lifting the visa requirement for Armenians, so that Armenian citizens can visit EU countries more frequently,” Štěrba said.

According to him, focusing on promoting human rights, equality and social inclusion and combating discrimination is at the core of European integration.

“When we are now discussing the next package of technical assistance aimed at supporting Armenia’s economy, it includes a very important component aimed at vulnerable groups or groups that could otherwise face discrimination. The same applies to all future support to be provided to the Government in connection with social protection programs and the protection of vulnerable groups. The Council of Europe predates the European Union, so its experience and the path it has taken are impressive, and the Council of Europe is very keen to cooperate with Armenian civil society over the long term,” Štěrba said.

The discussions also addressed European standards and good practices aimed at strengthening the effective and meaningful participation of women in public and political life and decision-making processes, including ways to overcome existing obstacles and promote more inclusive and representative decision-making.

During the session-conference, special attention was paid to the rights of women belonging to national minorities, as well as key legislative and practical measures for taking comprehensive action to reduce the risks of early and forced marriages and exclusion from education.