In a conference organized upon the initiative of RA Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Argentina in Armenia H.E. Mr. Gonzalo Urriolabeitia issues relating to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities were discussed. The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan, the representatives of state bodies, embassies, NGOs and international organizations participated in the discussion.
In his opening speech Arman Tatoyan said: “I am certain that without broad cooperation, it will be hard to find solutions in this sphere.” He especially highlighted the role of NGOs, because, according to the Defender, their activities allow to correctly understand the issues of the sphere. “What is required in this sphere is caring work so that persons with disabilities do not face discrimination and have full participation in the social life”, said Arman Tatoyan.
Ambassador Gonzalo Urriolabeitia presented the Argentinian experience, legislative regulations of the issue, the fundamentals of the inclusive police administered in the state. “It is not that we want to change disabled people: quite the opposite, we want to change the society”, said the Ambassador. He informed that the law relating to people with disabilities was adopted in Argentina back in 1981.
The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Artem Asatryan, referred to the provisions of the RA Draft Law on “Protection of the Rights and the Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities”. They derive from the requirements of the UN Convention on the Protection of the Right of People with Disabilities, which was ratified by Armenia in 2010. The Minister highlighted the importance of including an independent monitoring and prevention mechanism in the draft law, according to which the Human Rights Defender will carry out the monitoring.
The Head of the Legal Analysis Department of the Human Rights Defender’s Office, Lusine Sargsyan, said in her speech: “We consider each draft law from the perspective of the rights of people with disabilities”. In addition, there is a continuous work aimed at reforming the legal framework and practical mechanisms relating to the protection of the rights of people with disabilities presenting proposals to respective authorities and taking join measures with the them to solve the existing issues.