The RA NA President Alen Simonyan participated in the International Conference Ethical Standards in Guaranteeing Legality and Anti-Discrimination organized by the RA Human Rights Defender (HRD) Staff and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and gave a speech.
First of all, I congratulate you on International Human Rights Day. December 10 reminds everybody about the protection of main values, on which the modern democratic society is built – human dignity, freedoms, equality. We should state that the protection of human rights is not only the duty of the state, but also the special component of public solidarity.
The National Assembly, as the highest legislative body of a democratic state, has an important mission in the protection of human rights. We continue to consistently improve legislation regarding the human rights.
In addition, we are obliged to ensure that every citizen, regardless of their characteristics, has the opportunity to fully enjoy their rights and freedoms.
In this context, I would like to note that the draft law On Ensuring Equality and Protection from Discrimination is currently under active debate. After the adoption of the law, the above-mentioned functions will be assigned to the Human Rights Defender, which will significantly expand the functions of the HRD and provide an opportunity to respond to cases of inequality in a more systematic manner.
However, this is not the work of one body alone. It requires joint action, involving both civil society and international organizations, as well as state bodies.
We are ready to continue the path of reforms, strengthening ethical standards and establishing more distinct mechanisms to ensure equality.
I call on all players to continue the joint efforts to build a society based on respect, inclusiveness and justice. On that path, we have one common goal: to make Armenia a country where human rights will be fully protected, with the guarantee that they will never be put under doubt any circumstances.
Thank you.
