Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, conducted a visit to Armenia on February 3-6 , focusing on three topical issues: anti-discrimination, violence against women and the human rights of Karabakh Armenians displaced to Armenia.

O’Flaherty, in a statement issued today summarizing his visit, emphasizes that Armenia has made significant progress in the field of human rights protection, in particular, in combating discrimination, legislative amendments to prevent gender-based violence, as well as in the integration of Artsakh Armenians.

As an achievement, he notes the introduction of new tools to combat violence against women, including police and court protection mechanisms, the creation of victim support services, and the acceleration of the process of granting Armenian citizenship to Artsakh Armenians.

At the same time, O’Flaherty notes that Armenia still does not have a comprehensive legislative system to combat discrimination. He calls on the Armenian authorities, in cooperation with civil society, to adopt as soon as possible a legislative regulation on equality that meets international standards, which, among other issues, will also ensure effective protection mechanisms for victims.

O’Flaherty believes that violence against women in Armenia is still a genuine problem, noting that patriarchal approaches and gender stereotypes preserved in society hinder progress, and in some cases the law enforcement system prioritizes  the “reconciliation” of the family, not the protection of the rights of victims,

He calls for ensuring full implementation of the law, increasing funding for shelters and for police officers, conducting gender-sensitive training.

Turning to the issue of Artsakh Armenians in Armenia, O’Flaherty appreciates the solidarity and support shown to them. He notes that in the transition from emergency assistance to long-term integration, economic integration, solving housing problems, restoring documents and social inclusion are important. He recommends adopting a comprehensive integration strategy with the participation of civil society and international partners.

O’Flaherty welcomes the readiness of the Armenian authorities to ratify the Istanbul Convention, a binding Council of Europe treaty designed to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence and calls for doing so as a matter of priority, while countering the disinformation spread around it.

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