Back Council of Europe strengthens collaboration with the National Assembly on human rights and biomedicine

Council of Europe strengthens collaboration with the National Assembly on human rights and biomedicine

As part of the ongoing healthcare reforms in Armenia and Armenia-Council of Europe cooperation, a high-level delegation from the National Assembly of Armenia, led by Chair of the Standing Committee on Healthcare Narek Zeynalyan, visited the Council of Europe institutions in Strasbourg and the World Health Organisation (WHO) reference centre on mental health services and mental health facilities in Lille, France.

The delegation included members from the Standing Committees on Healthcare, Human Rights and Public Affairs, and State and Legal Affairs of the National Assembly.

The visit aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration on human rights challenges in mental health and facilitating exchange of knowledge and best practices between the Republic of Armenia and the key institutions of the Council of Europe.

In Strasbourg, the delegation met with the officials from the Department of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Co-operation Standard-Setting Activities, Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. The discussions were focused on the current strategies for promoting the autonomy of persons with mental health issues.

Armenian officials explored how the lessons learned from the implementation of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights on mental health could be incorporated into the legislation of Armenia for the benefit of its citizens.

On World Mental Health Day, members of the delegation visited the WHO reference centre on mental health and Lille-Est mental health centre and discussed key principles of human rights-based approaches in mental health services in France, as well as the WHO best practices which can be applied in the healthcare services of Armenia.

The visit not only strengthened and explored new directions of collaboration in human rights and biomedicine, but also fostered a rich exchange of knowledge between the Council of Europe representatives and Armenian Parliamentary officials and enriched understanding of the Armenian delegation on effective institutional and practical approaches.

This visit marks a step forward in the implementation of the national mental healthcare programme with the aim of enhancing the protection of human rights for persons with mental health issues as part of Armenia-Council of Europe cooperation and 2023-2026 Action Plan.

The Council of Europe remains committed  to strengthening human rights, rule of law and democracy in Armenia and  supporting in promoting human rights framework and enhancing institutional capacities.

The study visit was  organised within the project “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine II”  implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.

 

STRASBOURG-LILLE 8-10 OCTOBER 2024
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 Start date: 1 January 2023

 Duration: 24 months

 Funding: EUR 900,000

Donor: Donors contributing to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023–2026

Partners: Ministry of Health; Human Rights Defender’s Office; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MESCS), Standing Committee of Healthcare and Social Affairs of the National Assembly, National Institute of Health of theRepublic of Armenia; Yerevan State Medical University.

The project was the logical continuation of the first ever and extremely successful cooperation project in the sphere of the protection of Human Rights in biomedicine I, implemented within the Action plan for Armenia 2019-2022. Given the impressive impact on health-related aspects, for individuals and the society as a whole, of the Covid-19 pandemic, the cooperation in this field between the Council of Europe and the Republic of Armenia has become even more relevant. The large number of severe cases raises major ethical and human rights challenges that professionals and competent authorities have to address in tackling the pandemic and in taking care of their patients’ health.

Based on the results and lessons learned from the previous Project,  this Project aimed at contributing to enhance awareness of the European  human rights’ and ethical standards in the field of biomedicine (e.g. informed  consent to any medical intervention,  the importance of medical secret and confidentiality, voluntary non-remunerated organ donation,  preservation of genetic heritage) and to support national authorities in their efforts to align  national legislation and practice in the field of biomedicine and healthcare with the European  human rights’ and ethical standards in the field of biomedicine. It also contributed to preparing Armenia for joining  the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine of the Council of Europe (The Oviedo Convention) is the only legally binding international instrument establishing framework applicable both to day-to-day medicine and to new technologies in the biomedical field.

The Project focused on:

  • Supporting the national authorities in their efforts to bring the legal norms in the field of biomedicine and healthcare closer to the European human rights and ethical standards.
  • Further establishing the Ethics Committee for healthcare professionals, as well as strengthening the capacities of healthcare professionals on adopted ethical rules for the best interest and protection of patients' rights;
  • Strengthening healthcare and legal practitioners’ skills and capacities to apply human rights and ethical standards (e.g. informed consent for medical intervention, protection of private life and right  to information,  non-discrimination, transplantation of organs and tissues, provision of mental health services, reproductive health rights and etc.).
  • Supporting the development of public dialogue on human rights issues in the field of biomedicine and healthcare.

The cooperation project in the area of protection of human rights in biomedicine was carried out in line with the priorities laid down in the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.  As stated in the Action Plan, Armenian authorities together with the Council of Europe identified enhancing human rights protection in the field of biomedicine as one of their priorities.  
The Project contributed to the following specific outcomes of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia:

  • Relevant legal norms and law-enforcement practices are brought into line with the principles enshrined in the Oviedo Convention;
  • The overall level of human rights protection in the biomedical field is increased;
  • The overall level of public dialogue on health issues is improved;
  • Armenia is better prepared for the possible future ratification of the Oviedo Convention.

As part of its comprehensive response package to the refugee influx in Armenia, the project introduced a new component to support Armenian authorities in their efforts to fully integrate nearly 2000 healthcare professionals from Karabakh into the Armenian healthcare system, by enhancing their skills and capacities through training sessions and capacity-building activities. Additionally, the project addressed the mental health challenges of refugees, focusing mainly on healthcare professionals, by strengthening the skills of psychologists, social workers, and other professionals. Furthermore, through an extensive public outreach campaign, the project aimed to raise awareness of sensitive topics and issues related to refugees among the Armenian population.

Video on Ovideo Convention
 

 

Armenia: Oviedo Convention

 

Reference documents