Chaired by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, the Council for Coordination of the Program of Action for the Protection of Human Rights in 2017-2019 held its first meeting in the Office of Government.
The Prime Minister noted that the protection of human rights is one of the main directions and priorities of the Government. “This is natural, our country’s Constitution says that the respect and protection of human rights is a key responsibility for public authorities,” Karen Karapetyan said.
The Prime Minister emphasized that in a bid to ensure greater coordination and effectiveness in the activities of central executive agencies in the sphere of human rights, on May 4, 2017 the Government approved the Program of Action for 2017-2019 based on the National Human Rights Strategy, which defines 96 actions with a specific timetable, the proposed criteria, expected results and the responsible bodies for each activity. In addition, a coordinating council has been established to monitor and coordinate the implementation of the program, which consists of representatives of the Government and State agencies.
“The Coordination Council shall meet on a quarterly basis to discuss the activities performed by government departments. I consider it important to hold public debates with the participation of civil society every six months. Such discussions may become an effective platform for the stakeholders to submit comments and suggestions regarding the implementation,” the Premier said, adding that the timely implementation of this human rights-oriented program will be the focus of the Government’s and the Prime Minister’s attention.
The meeting reviewed the actions completed and the steps to take by individual ministries, government departments and the Office for Human Rights in the sphere of human rights during the first half of 2017.