Legislative reforms in the field of healthcare have the central role in the Reform Agenda of the Government of RA. The strong involvement of the Parliament in legislative reforms is crucial to align the legal norms and law-enforcement practices with the applicable European standards in the field.
With the aim to sum up the results of the recent Study Visit to Strasbourg organized on 21-25 January 2024, to discuss human rights-based approaches to healthcare and capacitate the members of Parliament and relevant staffs with the necessary knowledge and skills on European standards, the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan on 11-12 March 2024 has organized two-day capacity-building for the members of the Standing Committees on Healthcare and Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs and the experts of the committees.
Mr Maxime Longangué, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan a.i., Mr Narek Zeynalyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Healthcare and Daniele Cangemi, Head of Human Rights, Justice, Legal Co-Operation Standard Setting Activities Department of the Council of Europe, opened the meeting.
“Strong involvement of the Parliament in legislative reforms of healthcare sphere is crucial in the context of aligning the legal norms and law-enforcement practices with the European Standards in the field”, highlighted Maxime Longangué, mentioning that this capacity-building is designed to equip parliamentarians and the experts of the Standing Committees with the necessary skills and tools to promote a public dialogue on healthcare issues from legal point of view, as well as initiate and discuss the amendments and improvements in the laws on the biomedical field.
“Oviedo Convention is the only legally binding instrument protecting the human rights in the field of healthcare and Armenia attach great importance of aligning the national legislation with the European standards in the field” highlighted Narek Zeynalyan, mentioning that the package for the signature of the Oviedo Convention is in the process of getting internal approvals.
“Ensuring human rights protection is a requirement which all Council of Europe member states had committed to. The ratification of the Oviedo Convention by Armenia would be an important political sign of the commitment of Armenia to ensure protection of human rights in the health field contributing thereby also to building trust within the general population”, mentioned Daniele Cangemi, highlighting the determinant role of the Parliament in this process.
The discussions were framed within the human rights and ethical standards in the field of biomedicine set by the Council of Europe, in particular in the fields of mental health services, transplantation of organs and tissues, reproductive health rights and etc. contributing to the law-making activities of the Standing Committees, as well as preparing a background for the possible ratification of the Oviedo Convention by the Republic of Armenia.
The discussion marked a critical step towards strengthening the collaboration with the National Assembly of Armenia and reflected a strong commitment of the Parliament to promote the European standards in the field of healthcare and biomedicine in Armenia.
This capacity-building event was organized by the Council of Europe Project on “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine II” implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.
