Back Psychological needs of displaced population are in the focus of the Council of Europe

Council of Europe supports refugees, addressing trauma and psychological needs amid displacement
Psychological needs of displaced population are in the focus of the Council of Europe

Healthcare professionals have been among the most affected during the displacement in September 2023. Professional duties made them even more vulnerable to trauma because of their role as first responders.

In this regard, as part of the Comprehensive Refuge Response Package, the Council of Europe has prioritised provision of psychological support to displaced healthcare professionals as the only specific support to the state in integration of refugee healthcare professionals into the healthcare system in Armenia. Promoting well-being and addressing the effects of emotional stress during integration is crucial, as it supports the psychological needs of patients, the general population, and displaced individuals.

Tailored capacity building events have been designed with the focus to address the impact of the psychological stress accumulated in the process of displacement and equip displaced healthcare professionals with tools of resistance in the new conditions. The continuous work in this direction with around 200 refugees has started in 2024 and has also created a climate of a safe environment which invites them to tackle their emotional stress further on.

To finalise this kind of unique initiative both for the Council of Europe and Armenia, a tailored psychological capacity building session organised on 21-22 November brought together around 35 displaced healthcare professionals. The session served as a good platform for handling the post-traumatic stress and identifying and mapping the psychological resources for resistance.

As a result of the capacity building session refugee healthcare professionals unveiled new mechanisms of self-resistance which will enable them to rethink of their own experience and develop professional self-preservation skills. This will also promote a culture of mutual support among colleagues and quality of medical service delivered to the patients in Armenia.

The event was organised by the Council of Europe as part of its project “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine III” implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026. 

YEREVAN, ARMENIA 21-22 NOVEMBER 2025
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What is the goal and objective of the project?

Building upon the results achieved from the successful implementation of the first two phases of the Council of Europe Project “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine”  implemented within the Action Plans for Armenia 2019-2022 and 2023-2026, respectively, this Project intends to further support Armenian authorities to harmonise domestic legislation in the field of biomedicine and healthcare with the European standards enshrined in the 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, known as the Oviedo Convention, which is the only legally binding international instrument in the area of protection of human rights in the field of biomedicine․

As a result of the fruitful cooperation between the Council of Europe and the national authorities, the Republic of Armenia signed the Oviedo Convention in May 2024, and expressed its further commitment towards protection of human rights in the field of biomedicine by preparing to ratify it.

Based on the results and lessons learned from the previous phases of the project, this Project will provide support at policy and operational level assisting authorities to accomplish reform goals in the field of healthcare and specifically will focus on:

  • Supporting national authorities in their efforts to bring the legal framework in the biomedical field in line with the European standards and namely the Oviedo Convention;
  • Supporting healthcare and legal professionals to apply practices and institutional mechanisms which are better aligned with the standards enshrined in the Oviedo Convention;
  • Promoting patient-centred approach in the field of healthcare;
  • Promoting public dialogue on healthcare issues;
  • Supporting to the integration of healthcare professionals from Karabakh region into the healthcare system in the Republic of Armenia.

As part of its comprehensive response package to the refugee influx in Armenia, the project will continue supporting national authorities at integrating refugee healthcare professionals from Karabakh region into the healthcare system in Armenia.

 Start date: 1 January 2025

 Duration: 24 months

 Funding: EUR 600,000, donors contributing to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023–2026

Contact person: Ms Meri Katvalyan, Senior Project Officer

Who benefits from the project?
  • Ministry of Health
  • Human Rights Defender’s Office
  • Standing Committee on Healthcare of the National Assembly
  • Standing Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs of the National Assembly
  • Ministry of Justice
  • Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
  • National Institute of Health
  • Yerevan State Medical University
  • general public
How does the project work?

The cooperation project in the area of protection of human rights in biomedicine will be 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 consider enhancing human rights protection in the field of biomedicine as one of their priorities. 

What do we expect to achieve?
  • 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.
Reference documents
Videos

Oviedo Convention protecting human rights in the field of biomedicine

 

Armenia: Oviedo Convention 

 

Interview with the Chair of the Ethics Committee of Health Care Professionals

 

Oviedo Convention ratified by Armenia