President Vahagn Khachaturyan participated in Conference Dedicated to International Human Rights Day

President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan participated in the international conference titled “Ethical Standards in Safeguarding Equality and Preventing Discrimination” dedicated to International Human Rights Day, and delivered opening remarks.

“At the beginning of my speech, I would like to congratulate all of us on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.

Nearly 80 years ago, in 1948, on this very day, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. Although it was not a legally binding document, it encapsulated the most important statements regarding fundamental human rights, which were to serve as the basis for the development of key conventions enshrining human rights and freedoms later.

I consider it important to emphasize that since independence, our state has joined the vast majority of instruments within the human rights treaty system and has continuously improved the mechanisms for fulfilling the obligations assumed under them.

A decade after independence, becoming a member of the Council of Europe and significantly reforming its legislation, Armenia made a conscious choice to move toward more ambitious, accountable, and transparent democratic governance structures, which allow our citizens to benefit from international justice, particularly the mechanisms of the European Court of Human Rights.

I am pleased to note that today, rights-based approaches and the rule of law form the foundation of the Armenian Government’s extensive reform agenda and remain a priority in sectoral policy.

Expressing my gratitude to the Human Rights Defender of Armenia for organizing this conference, I would like to highlight with special pride that the Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, based on the UN “Paris Principles,” has for years been awarded the highest “A” status, which attests to the unwavering democratic direction of our state.

I must note that the topic chosen for the conference is multilayered and complex. Ensuring equality before the law and eliminating discrimination are not only obligations of the state and one of the foundations of our Constitution, but also the minimum requirement for respect for human dignity, without which it is impossible to build a peaceful and just society. I also believe that there is a prevailing conviction in international political discourse that the protection of the rights of individuals and protected groups, including national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, indigenous peoples, refugees, and several other vulnerable groups, and the early identification and response to hate speech and hate crimes can serve as a guarantee for preventing more serious conflicts and even wars in the future.

It is noteworthy that as early as 1947, women played a significant role in the drafting and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I am convinced that one of the mandatory prerequisites for a truly equal society and state is the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, not only at the level of laws and regulations, but also in customs and cultural perceptions.

The international conference has brought together a distinguished group of state officials, diplomats, and national and international experts, who, in a short period of time, are expected to discuss conceptual issues regarding the foundations of sustainable democracy and the legal, ethical, and cultural components of the majority–minority balance.”