On May 26, the distance session of the Steering Committee of the "Human Rights and Women in the Armed Forces of Armenia" program which is implemented by the office of the Council of Europe in Yerevan and is funded by the Government of the United Kingdom was held.

The one year of the implementation of the program was summarized during the distance session. Chargé d'Affaires of the United Kingdom’s Embassy in Armenia David Moran, Head of the office of the Council of Europe in Yerevan Natalia Voutova, Deputy Minister of Defence of Armenia Gabriel Balayan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Arman Tatoyan, representative of the Republic of Armenia to the European Court of Human Rights Yeghisheh Kirakosyan, representatives of the departments that are beneficiaries of the program participated in the session.

Summarizing the results of the implementation of the program, Deputy Minister of Defence of Armenia Gabriel Balayan emphasized that it has made a significant contribution to raising awareness of human rights in the Armed Forces, developing educational opportunities and promoting institutional reforms of the Ministry of Defence, stressed the importance of maintaining and expanding the results achieved by ensuring the continuity of the cooperation.

David Moran and Natalia Voutova also noted the importance of the implementation of the program in the Armed Forces to ensure the application of the European standards for the protection of human rights and for the protection of women's rights in the Armed Forces. The close cooperation between the RA Ministry of Defence and the Human Rights Defender's Office was highly appreciated, which was further strengthened by the introduction of the Program.

Summarizing the distance session, Head of the Human Rights and Integrity Building Center of the RA Ministry of Defence, Colonel Aleksandr Avetisyan noted that the RA Ministry of Defence has started systemic reforms in the sphere of the protection of social and health rights of the servicemen, stressed the importance to receive targeted assistance within the framework of the Program.

The second stage of the program will start from June 1 of this year, taking into account the recorded positive results of the program and determination of the RA Ministry of Defence to continue the cooperation with the Council of Europe in the sphere of the protection of human rights in the Armed Forces.

The "Human Rights and Women in the Armed Forces of Armenia" program is implemented by the Council of Europe within the framework of the program of the actions 2019-2022 of the Council of Europe for Armenia and is funded by the United Kingdom. The program of the actions is also funded by Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Sweden.