UNDP AND THE ARMENIAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER SIGN AN AGREEMENT
ArmRadio.am
08.02.2007 17:55
Today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Human
Rights Defender’s Office (HRDO) of Armenia signed an agreement that
marked the start of a new joint project in support of human rights
protection and promotion in Armenia.
Importantly, public awareness-raising is the one of the main components
of the project: a series of TV programmes, where the Ombudsman will
raise and discuss major human rights issues for the country, will be
produced and broadcasted on national television.
In addition, the capacity of the HRD office to annually report back to
the public on their activities will be enhanced, which will contribute
to the human rights promotion and protection in the country.
The Head of UN and UNDP in Armenia Ms. Consuelo Vidal noted in
her speech: "We are proud to continue our collaboration with the
Ombudsman’s office, with the support of the Swedish Agency for
International Development (Sida). We strongly believe in UN values and
human rights are the basis of the whole UN programme in Armenia. With
this project we will strive to ensure that public awareness of human
rights is increased and appropriate capacity is created for human
rights education, protection and promotion in Armenia."
Mr. Armen Harutyunyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of
Armenia stated: "This project will greatly contribute to the awareness
raising campaign regularly carried out by our institution throughout
the country. Due to TV-shows, envisaged in this project, the Human
Rights Defender will have an opportunity to provide transparency
as well as be accountable to the public at large on the activities
carried out by the Institution.
"I express my gratitude to the organisers and have the strong belief
that such activities can increase the level of legal awareness among
the population and create a culture of promotion of human rights." –
mentioned Mr. Harutyunyan.
Since the origins of the United Nations, promoting respect for, and
observance of, human rights everywhere in the world has been one of
the major tasks of the Organization. UNDP Armenia office has lent
great support to the promotion of human rights in Armenia.
The project will last from February 2007 to December 2008. The project
will be implemented in very close coordination with the project of
the Raoul Wallenburg Institute, which is enhancing the institutional
capacity of the Human Rights Defender’s Office.