Today, the Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan invited at a High-Level Discussion in Geneva dedicated to implementation the UN's Global Goals for Sustainable Development made a special speech. The Defender presented the ongoing work in the field of protection of children's rights in Armenia to the participants of the discussion, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Children's Fund's high-ranking representatives, Ombudsmen from other countries and international experts.
The Defender also introduced the legislative amendments that came into force on March 1, 2017, in which the function of monitoring the implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was entrusted to Human Rights Defender. It was specially mentioned that it is provided by a separate article about the opportunity of unrestricted visits to institutions implementing the care and protection of children, as well as secondary education institutions.
Arman Tatoyan also presented the challenges in the field of ensuring children’s rights at regional and country-level and ways to overcome them. Importance was attached to joint work with civil society organizations and journalists in all these issues.
The participants of the discussion highly appreciated not only the changes in the area of the activities of the Human Rights Defender, but also attached importance to the implemented activity of the Human Rights Defender in the protection of children's rights. Representatives from different countries expressed willingness to study the Armenian experience to invest it in their own countries.