Following his recent visit to Armenia, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe issued a press release in which he also addressed the topics included in the report submitted to him by the “Center for International and Comparative Law.”
During the Commissioner’s stay in Armenia, ICLaw maintained constant communication with his staff and also submitted a written report concerning the human rights issues faced by forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh, their integration, as well as problems of discriminatory treatment against women engaged in civic and public activities.
Although the emergency assistance provided after the displacement has partially mitigated the humanitarian crisis, serious systemic problems currently persist, which endanger the long-term, dignified, and rights-based integration of displaced persons. The Center drew the Commissioner’s attention to issues related to housing and utility costs, problems in the state housing support program, obstacles arising in the provision of pensions, as well as issues of employment and low-paid work.
In the submitted materials, particular attention was paid to the situation of the families of prisoners and missing persons, who are secondary victims but are deprived of adequate social protection measures, unlike the families affected by the events of 2020.
The report paid special attention to the issue of the collective return of forcibly displaced persons. The right of return is one of the fundamental principles of international law, closely linked to the rights to property, private and family life, and access to effective legal protection. The recognition and implementation of the right of return are of vital importance not only for individuals but also from the perspective of establishing sustainable peace.
In the press release, the Commissioner emphasized that the right to safe and dignified return remains important for the Armenians of Artsakh. Acknowledging the sensitivity of the issue in the context of the peace process, the Commissioner encouraged continued efforts to protect the rights of the displaced and to respond to their needs.
Referring to the integration strategy for forcibly displaced persons, the Commissioner emphasized that it must be inclusive and comprehensive. “It is important that the most vulnerable groups - children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities - are not left out of attention. This requires a resource-based strategy implemented in partnership with civil society, guaranteeing not only housing and employment, but also each individual’s right to make a free and informed choice regarding their future.”