The government approved the draft law of Armenia on the ratification of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine (Oviedo Convention), signed on April 4, 1997.

According to the rationale, the Oviedo Convention of the Council of Europe (CoE) is the only legally binding international instrument that establishes an applicable legal framework for both daily medical practice and the introduction of new technology in biomedicine.

Armenia's ratification of this convention is of great importance to reaffirm the country's commitment to protecting human rights in the healthcare sector.

The convention is an integral part of the legislative package developed by the CoE in protection of human rights and defines the regulations of such important issues as the patient's informed consent for any medical intervention, the need to maintain medical confidentiality, the observance of ethical aspects in reproductive healthcare, etc.