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    Emil Lazarian
  • 2 years ago
    • Categories: 2022

Council of Europe anti-racism body to prepare report on Armenia

June 8 2022
STRASBOURG 8 JUNE 2022

A delegation of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) visited Armenia from 30 May to 3 June 2022 as the first step in the preparation of a monitoring report. During the visit, ECRI’s delegation gathered information on effective equality and access to rights; hate speech and hate-motivated violence; and integration and inclusion.

The delegation held meetings with representatives of government and other authorities, the Human Rights Defender and civil society. It also visited the newly opened safe space for LGBT people in Armenia (Yerevan), to discuss the situation of Armenian LGBTI communities together with representatives of relevant NGOs.

Following this visit, ECRI will adopt a report in 2023, in which it will make a new set of recommendations on measures to be taken by the authorities to address racism and intolerance in the country. The implementation of two priority recommendations will be reviewed in two years’ time after publication of the report as part of ECRI’s interim follow-up procedure.

In its previous report on Armenia, published in 2016, among other recommendations, ECRI recommended that the various action plans containing programmes for the integration of vulnerable groups include a description of their objectives, a complete set of criteria for assessing their impact on these groups, and a clear financial plan. This recommendation concerned existing stand-alone programmes and any future programmes deriving from the comprehensive integration policies which were being developed. In its interim follow-up conclusions, published in 2019, ECRI considered that this recommendation had been partially implemented.

ECRI also recommended that a national integration strategy be developed, in consultation with representatives of the vulnerable groups concerned. This strategy should also establish clear co-ordination mechanisms between all relevant ministries, implementing agencies and potential donors.

https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-commission-against-racism-and-intolerance/-/council-of-europe-anti-racism-body-to-prepare-report-on-armenia

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS