On April 21, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Anahit Manasyan, participated in the opening event of the Council of Europe Project "Fostering Human Rights in the Armed Forces in Armenia" and delivered a welcome speech.

The main objective of the project is the contribution to effective protection of human rights in the RA armed forces, prevention of violations, development of capacities aimed at effective investigation and detection of possible violations, as well as the provision of equal opportunities for women servicepersons, the promotion of their involvement and advancement in the armed forces.

In her speech, the Ombudsperson expressed her gratitude to the CoE office in Yerevan for the effective cooperation with the Human Rights Defender institution in various areas of human rights promotion emphasizing the results of the joint work within the framework of the "Human Rights and Women in the Armed Forces of Armenia" and "Human Rights and Women in the Armed Forces of Armenia - Phase II" programs.

Anahit Manasyan particularly highlighted the importance of the establishment of the institution of integrity in the armed forces.

The Head of the CoE office in Yerevan, Martina Schmidt, also delivered a welcome speech at the event and highly appreciated the role of the Defender's institution in the implementation of the project.

The "Fostering Human Rights in the Armed Forces in Armenia" Project is implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.