OSCE OFFICE ORGANIZES ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN VISIT TO FRANCE
OSCE.org
May 5 2009
A two-day visit of Armenia’s Ombudsman, Armen Harutyunyan, to the
French Ombudsman institution, organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan
with the French Embassy in Armenia, finished today.
Harutyunyan and his French counterparts discussed investigation
of individual human rights complaints, co-operation with state
bodies, public relations and other practical matters. He also met
representatives of the Foreign Ministry and France-Armenia Friendship
Group at the National Assembly, and was filmed for French TV programme
Dossier Urgent with the French Ombudsman, Jean-Paul Delevoye.
"I found this trip very useful from the point of view of sharing
experiences and getting new ideas on how the Ombudsman institution
should operate. This kind of initiative strengthens the co-operation
between institutions and contributes to their effectiveness," said
Harutyunyan.
Later this month, an event to mark the fifth anniversary of
the Armenian ombudsman institution will be organized with the
participation of human rights institutions from different countries,
including France.
"OSCE participating States should support and promote the vital role
played by the human rights institutions in protecting human rights in
their respective countries," said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head
of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. "Supporting exchanges of experience and
information between national human rights institutions will strengthen
the work of human rights defenders."
The OSCE Office in Yerevan has supported the Ombudsman institution from
its inception through the provision of legislative expertise, capacity
building exercises, expert opinion and best practices in the field.