The Public Council on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Asylum Seekers, Forcibly Displaced Persons, and Refugees under the Human Rights Defender has officially commenced its activities with the aim of becoming a platform for effective dialogue and cooperation among the state, civil society, international partners, and beneficiaries.
On June 23, the inaugural meeting of the Council, established at the initiative of Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan, took place. The meeting was organized through the cooperation of the Human Rights Defender’s Office and the Armenia Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The meeting was attended by Siranush Sahakyan, Director of the International and Comparative Law Center, Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan, Head of the Armenia Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Monica Sandri, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Armen Ghazaryan, Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service Nelli Davtyan, representatives of sectoral non-governmental organizations, and independent experts.
The newly established Council will operate as an advisory body, supporting the protection and promotion of the rights of asylum seekers, refugees, and forcibly displaced persons, identifying existing issues in the field, and developing proposals aimed at addressing them.
In her opening remarks, Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan emphasized that the protection of the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and forcibly displaced persons is one of the priority areas of the Human Rights Defender’s Office.
“For us, the protection of the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and forcibly displaced persons is not a matter of responding to individual cases, but a long-term and systemic priority,” said the Defender.
Anahit Manasyan emphasized that effective solutions to sectoral issues are possible only through multilateral cooperation, when not only the voices of state bodies but also those of civil society, the expert community, and the beneficiaries themselves are heard.
In this context, the Defender highlighted the fact that the Council also includes organizations that have been established and are led by refugees and forcibly displaced persons.
“It is extremely important that the very people concerned, as well as the structures representing them, are involved in decision-making processes affecting them. This is an important opportunity to make their voices heard and to present issues in a targeted manner,” said Anahit Manasyan.
The Defender also noted that alongside the reforms being implemented in the field, a number of challenges continue to persist, the overcoming of which requires not only legal and practical solutions but also effective communication and proper awareness-raising among beneficiaries.
The Defender thanked the member organizations of the Council and the independent experts for their willingness to join the initiative and highly appreciated the support of international partners, particularly the Armenia Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
During the discussion, Council members presented the main areas of their activities, addressed the key challenges concerning asylum seekers, refugees, and forcibly displaced persons, and discussed possible ways of overcoming them.
Particular attention was paid to strengthening inter-agency cooperation, eliminating discriminatory and differentiated approaches, as well as the need to develop mechanisms for regular communication and feedback among stakeholders.
Summing up the meeting, the Human Rights Defender emphasized that the newly established Public Council is intended to become an influential consultative platform that will contribute to the more effective protection of the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and forcibly displaced persons, enhance the visibility of their voices, and expand their participation in the process of developing public policies.