Armenian Ombudsperson meets CoE Congress of Local and Regional Authorities delegation

Armenian Ombudsperson Anahit Manasyan received the delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. The delegation included the Congress’s co-rapporteurs on Armenia, Jonathan Denis (United Kingdom) and Katrien Partyka (Belgium), as well as Congress Secretary Stéphanie Poirel and expert Tania Groppi.

The meeting took place within the framework of a monitoring visit carried out by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, aimed at assessing the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in the Republic of Armenia, according to a readout from Manasyan’s office.

Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan emphasized the importance of such meetings in terms of strengthening democratic institutions and developing effective cooperation, presenting the mandate and main areas of activity of the Human Rights Defender’s Office.

During the discussion, a number of key issues related to the functioning of the local self-government system were addressed. In this context, Manasyan noted that she regularly conducts regional visits, meets with residents of rural communities, and listens to their concerns, which are summarized in the Ombudsperson’s annual report.

The meeting also addressed issues related to the protection of rights by local self-government bodies and ensuring inclusiveness within local authorities. Manasyan highlighted the importance of adequate representation of national minorities, women, and persons with disabilities in local self-government bodies, as well as the need to expand their opportunities for participation in local governance.

She also presented the observations of the Human Rights Defender’s Office, based on applications received from citizens, monitoring activities, and the results of regional visits. The Ombudsperson stressed that the effectiveness of local self-government has a direct impact on the realization of human rights, particularly in terms of accessibility of social services, development of community infrastructure, and ensuring an adequate quality of life for the population.

The meeting also focused on issues related to the protection of the rights of forcibly displaced persons. In this context, the Ombudsperson emphasized the importance of creating dialogue platforms, citing as an example a recent discussion initiated by her office, which was also attended by Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan.

“The development of the local self-government system and its effective functioning are important components of human rights protection. During our regional visits, we observe that problems in communities are often conditioned not only by limited resources, but also by the incomplete application of governance and participatory mechanisms. In this regard, it is important to continuously improve the tools of local democracy and ensure their effective implementation,” the Human Rights Defender said.

At the end of the meeting, Anahit Manasyan highly valued the long-standing and effective cooperation between the Human Rights Defender’s Office and the Council of Europe in the field of human rights protection. Representatives of the Congress thanked her for the reception and the information provided, emphasizing the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation.