US Ambassador presents Armenia’s achievements in human rights protection and strengthening of civil society

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of the USA to Armenia Richard Mills talked about Armenia’s achievements in strengthening democratic institutions and civil society and human rights protection during his speech before the American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia. According to him, one of the most impressive is the fact that Armenia retained its status as a Tier I country in the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report for the fourth straight year, thanks in large part to its interagency working group, which is a model of cooperation between the government and civil society.” But if I may add just one thing: to ensure that its efforts in preventing trafficking in persons continue to be recognized, I do urge the government to reinstate the Labor Inspectorate without delay. Without a functioning Labor Inspectorate it is very difficult to track and prevent trafficking in labor and especially child labor”, “Armenpress” reports the Ambassador saying.

Mills assesses the “Law on Public Organizations” as another achievement, which defines completely new opportunities for the NGOs allowing them to pursue greater financial independence and long-term sustainability.

“In the area of human rights, we are greatly encouraged by the initiative of the Ministry of Defense to establish a Center for Human Rights and Building Integrity, which the U.S. Embassy has supported, as well as by recent reports that the Ministry has created a hotline for parents to call if they have questions or concerns about their sons’ treatment in the military”, the Ambassador stated.

He added that thanks to small grants from the Embassy, several Armenian NGOs were able to implement projects that have made a real difference. “SOSE Women’s Issues NGO carried out an amazingly creative social media campaign against sex-selective abortions, and several NGOs – including the Kendo National Association, Dasaran, and Aleppo – have implemented projects benefitting individuals with disabilities and promoting social inclusion”, he clarified.

According to the Ambassador’s assessment, these success stories show that there are many organizations and many people within government and in civil society that care deeply about these issues and are dedicated to bringing about real change within Armenian society