A package of drafts has been developed to increase the role of the community in the protection of children's rights in Armenia. According to the regulations, the protection of children's rights in Armenia will be carried out through a social worker specialized in child protection. This was stated by Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan during Thursday’s Cabinet session of the government, noting that for the first time since 2004, a large and comprehensive review of this sector in Armenia is being carried out with the proposed package.

"The main responsibility for child protection in [Armenia’s] communities is currently borne by guardianship, trusteeship committees, whose activities are qualified as ‘non-professional’ and ‘non-effective’ in various local and international reports because professionally qualified people are not actually engaged there.

The role of the state as the main responsible for ensuring children's rights in the country is being reaffirmed and strengthened, which will be implemented through the supervision of the delegated authority by the communities. The foundations for implementing child protection in [Armenia’s] communities have been strengthened through the introduction of a paid professional function, monitoring, and supervision system in communities," the minister said.

Also, the aforesaid package has defined the concept of "bullying" and stipulated that state and local government agencies and organizations will undertake responsive and preventive measures to prevent and detect child bullying, as well as create the necessary mechanisms for the protection of children at risk of or exposed to bullying.

"We have made changes to the age requirements for a person wishing to become a foster parent [in Armenia]; now we are turning 55 into 65. The regulation of accepting alimony payments in non-cash form has also been established. The child's participation in the adoption proceedings will not become a mandatory condition [in Armenia] ," the minister added, listing some of the proposed changes.

Also, Mkrtchyan informed that this package was discussed with both international partners and more than 20 NGOs engaged in the protection of children's rights in Armenia. And in order to ensure the right of children to be heard, children from target groups were also engaged, he added.

In turn, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that this package once again records the obvious fact that a child is not the property of a parent.

“This is a very important record. It should be said about this that a child is not the property of a parent, and this is a special relationship, and there are many peculiarities in this special relationship, and the rights of the child are one of these peculiarities,” said Pashinyan.