OSCE and Armenian Ombudsperson enhance co-operation
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Lars Gerold of OSCE/ODIHR (right) and Armenian Ombudsperson Larisa
Alaverdyan at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
allowing for exchange visits with Polish and Lithuanian Ombudsman
Offices, 18 March 2005. (Photo OSCE)
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Lars Gerold of OSCE/ODIHR (right) and Armenian Ombudsperson Larisa
Alaverdyan at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding allowing
for exchange visits with Polish and Lithuanian Ombudsman Offices, 18
March 2005. (Photo OSCE) Lars Gerold of OSCE/ODIHR (right) and
Armenian Ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdyan at the signing of a Memorandum
of Understanding allowing for exchange visits with Polish and
Lithuanian Ombudsman Offices, 18 March 2005. (Photo OSCE)
YEREVAN, 18 March 2005 – The OSCE today signed two Memoranda of
Understanding with the first Armenian Ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdyan,
under which her staff will receive training through exchange visits
with the Polish and Lithuanian Ombudsman Offices.
Created in 2004, the Armenian Ombudsman Office has become an integral
part of the human rights landscape of the country during its first
year of operation.
“The recently established Office has faced a lot of challenges from
the very moment it started to work,” said Stefan Buchmayer, Human
Rights Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan, at the signing ceremony.
“Therefore, we are happy to find financial resources with the help of
the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights [ODIHR]
to support the Ombudsman Office by building its staff capacity.”
The training will include a two-week study visit for two staff members
of the Armenian Ombudsman Office to Poland and Lithuania
respectively. The four trainees will in turn host their training
partners from the Polish and Lithuanian Ombudsman institutions in
Armenia and evaluate the results of the training.
“In the past, similar training programmes have proved to be successful
in the OSCE region,” said Lars Gerold, the ODIHR representative who
signed the agreement for the human rights institution.
“This method provides for a “hands on” approach, in which the trainees
are actively involved in the daily business of the host institutions.”
“The development of our institution depends to a large extent on
well-trained, motivated staff,” said Ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdyan,
expressing her appreciation of the project.
“We need to profit from the experience of human rights defender
institutions in countries with a similar recent history.” Key links
and documents:
For further information, please contact:
Gohar Avagyan
89 Teryan St.
375009, Yerevan
Armenia
Tel.: +374 1 54 10 62
+374 1 54 58 45
Fax: +374 1 54 10 61
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress