The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsperson) of Armenia, Kristinne Grigoryan, on Tuesday hosted a delegation headed by Director-General Kathryne Bomberger of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), the Human Rights Defender's Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Welcoming the representatives of the ICMP, Grigoryan presented the constitutional mandate of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the directions of the activities of the institution.

Kristinne Grigoryan presented to the ICMP representatives the direction of the work conducted by the institution of the Defender with the families of the missing persons. The Defender underlined that the protection of the rights of both missing persons and the relatives of prisoners of war and civilian captives is in the center of his daily attention both in Armenia and in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

In her turn, Bomberger presented the work experience of 25 years of the ICMP, which is aimed at assisting states to study the cases of missing persons in the post-war period, providing legal assistance to their families, as well as to establishing appropriate investigative mechanisms and institutional structures.

Armenia’s ombudsperson specifically underlined the importance of the need to develop comprehensive legislation regulating the issues of missing persons, as well as the need to create a capable and robust institution system.

During the meeting, the interlocutors stressed the importance of involving the relatives of the missing persons—in both the development of legislation and mechanisms.

Concluding the meeting, the participants agreed on specific areas of further cooperation.