1. Obligations before the Council of Europe

Council Of Europe Official Lauds Yerevan

06.02.04

A senior official from the Council of Europe monitoring Armenia's compliance
with its membership commitments to the human rights body made on Friday a
largely positive assessment of the three-year process. Ambassador Pietro Ago,
who represents the organization's decision-making Committee of Ministers, said
the Armenian authorities should be "congratulated for their good actions" which
he said are fostering the country's democratization. Ending a two-day
fact-finding visit to Yerevan, he pointed to the abolition of the death penalty
in Armenia and passage of new laws on mass media, human rights ombudsman and
alternative service.


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2. Rights of disabled persons

Program of Assistance to Disabled Children to Be Resolved Soon.

05.02.04

The problem of expanding the program of assistance to disabled children is
shortly to be resolved, Chairman of the Union of Disabled People of Armenia
"Pyunik" Hakob Abramian reported during a round-table on the problem of social
integration of disabled children.

According to him, new premises are expected to be provided to the Union, where
the children will have the opportunity to train equitation and swimming, which
is included in the treatment-recovery program for disabled children. The goal of
the program is assisting disabled children in gaining necessary knowledge to
feel full members of society. A total of 1.7 million. AMD was allocated for the
implementation of the program, which is sufficient for training only 30 disabled
children. The main goal of the program is psychological assistance to children
and their parents. The Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs is rendering active
assistance in resolving this problem. "Disabled people need help, but not pity,
because they feel others being sorry for them and retire into themselves,"
Professor Lorik Sivazlyan from a school for children for special needs, USA,
said.


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3. Detainees’ rights

Prisoners Serving a Life Sentence in Nubarashen Prison Halted Their Hunger
Strike

07.02.04

All prisoners serving a life sentence in Nubarashen prison halted their hunger
strike today, the press secretary of the Armenian Justice Ministry, Ara
Sagatelyan, told an Arminfo correspondent. Four days ago, 45 of the 51 prisoners
serving a life sentence in Nubarashen prison started a hunger strike. They were
demanding a meeting with representatives of the OSCE office in Yerevan. The
special representative of the Council of Europe's secretary-general in Armenia,
Natalya Vutova, and the human rights officer of the OSCE office in Yerevan,
Kristin Martirosyan, met 10 of the hunger strikers yesterday. No details of the
meeting were reported. However, after that, 13 of the prisoners halted the
hunger strike. The other hunger strikers halted it today, Sagatelyan said.


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4. Women’s rights. Trafficking issues

British Council Organizes Educational Staging on Trafficking Problem

4.02.04

On the initiative of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the
Armenian office of the British Council organization is holding a number of
educational staging covering the problem of trafficking, Director of the office
Roger Badd told ARMINFO.

According to him, staging are organized in public centers and schools with the
participation of Armenian actors. Meetings are organized with the women that
fell victim to trafficking. British Council is cooperating with various
nongovernmental organizations of Armenia. Roger Badd pointed out that 60% of
Armenian women-victims of trafficking were prostituted in Turkey, 30% in Dubai.
Despite the facts, the problem of trafficking has not so far been covered in
Armenia. This exacerbates the situation of women from socially vulnerable
sections of population, because they easily allured by "attractive
advertisements" about work abroad guaranteeing good learning. In fact, the women
fall into a trap.

In the 2003 report of the US Department of State, Armenia moved from the third
group (the countries with widely spread trafficking) to the second, which
testifies to certain progress. Last year the USA allocated a 170,000 USD grant
to the IOM Yerevan office for the implementation of two trafficking prevention
programs. According to official information, 19 criminal charges of human
trafficking were instituted in Armenia in 2003.


http://new.csi.am/eng/index1.php?goto=news&id=1516



5. Children rights

Committee on the Rights of the Child Issued its Conclusions and Recommendations
to Various Countries

4.02.04

On 4 February 2004 the Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded its
thirty-fifth session and issued its conclusions and recommendations to various
countries reporting on their compliance with the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child. The Convention prohibits parents from using spanking as
a form of discipline and intrudes on many other aspects of family life including
insisting on graphic sex education, and major restrictions on parental authority
over their minor children.

A UN press release on the session indicates that during the session the
committee told Japan, Guyana and Armenia to outlaw spanking, however light, by
parents in the home. The Committee told Armenia to "adopt specific legislation
and take other measures to prevent violence against children in all
circumstances, including corporal punishment."


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6. Freedom of media and broadcasting

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed Recommendation 1641
(2004) on Public Service Broadcasting.

5.02.04

The document assesses the formation of public service broadcasting in the
countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Newly Independent States.

The document notes, that in some countries laws on public service broadcasting
have been adopted but certain provisions and practices contradict European
standards. For example in Armenia, all the members of the Council for Public
Radio and Television are appointed by the President of the Republic", the
Recommendation says. (Text adopted by the Assembly on 27 January 2004 (3rd
Sitting).)


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7. News from International Organizations

a. Site of World Learning Organization now available in Armenian.

4.02.04

According to press release of the organization, during three years of
Organization's activity developed strong system of information provision on
public organizations of the country. 900 acting public organizations of Armenia
were registered on the base of Organization's data. The site represents history
of public organizations, grant programs, offers and announcements. World
Learning to all who is interested in development of public organizations'
sector. The address of the site in the Internet-

www.worldlearning.am


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b. UNDP Armenia Office to Direct its Efforts to Help Create New Jobs, Strengthen
Democracy.

3.02.04

The UNDP Armenia office in cooperation with the government of Armenia will
direct its 2004 projects to help create new jobs, strengthen the civil society
and implement UN Millennium Developments Goals.

In an interview with Armenpress Lise Grande, the UN Resident Coordinator and
UNDP Resident Representative emphasized the participation of the civil society
in democratic process. She said that creation of new jobs, especially in regions
with high level of unemployment and a significant support to small and
medium-sized businesses will contribute to the reduction of poverty volumes in
Armenia. Highlighting the project on strengthening the civil society, Lise
Grande said that a broad network of non-governmental organizations is planned to
be established this year with the view of supervising the process of
implementation of government-designed strategies for poverty reduction and
anti-corruption struggle. She said the civil society is to be involved in the
phase of drafting laws and other relevant measures.

She said the main focus in what is related to Millennium Development Goals, will
be on nature protection, gender issues and reduction of poverty volumes.


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