On 12 May 2023, the discussion organised within the framework of the Project on “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine II” has brought together representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Office of the Human Rights Defender, Representation of Armenia on International Legal Matters, National Institute of Health, as well as healthcare and legal professionals and international and national consultants of the Council of Europe.

Within the Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 the Council of Europe is planning to develop new HELP Course on human rights principles in mental health services. With this regard, the discussion aimed at serving a unique platform to contribute to the identification of the human rights issues in mental health services which need to be addressed, as well as capacity-building needs of healthcare and legal professionals working in the field of mental health. 

The discussion was opened by Laurence Lwoff, the Head of the Human Rights and Biomedicine Division of the Council of Europe who has highlighted the importance the discussion to identify the human rights issues in mental health services and promote the European human rights standards in the field of mental health care. 

The participants of the discussion have overviewed European and national human rights standards in the field of mental health services presented by Ivana Roagna, international consultant of the Council of Europe and Sergey Ghazinyan, national consultant of the Council of Europe.  Policy priorities in the field of mental health services with regard to human rights, as well as practical issues in the field were also at the centre of the discussion.  

The Council of Europe Cooperation Project “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine II” is implementing by the Council of Europe within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.