Cooperation in Armenia
The Convention for 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 aims to raise awareness on and facilitate implementation of the European human rights’ and ethical standards in the field of biomedicine, such as informed consent for any medical intervention, protection of private life and right to information, non-discrimination, including on the basis of genetic heritage, prohibition of financial gain in transplantation.
Read more
The Project is focused on:
- Supporting the national authorities in their effort to bring legal norms and law-enforcement practices in the biomedical field closer to the European human rights’ and ethical standards preparing Armenia for ratification of the Oviedo Convention;
- Strengthening medical and legal practitioners’ knowledge and capacity to apply human rights standards in biomedical fields.
The Project will contribute to the following specific outcomes of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia:
- Relevant legal texts and law-enforcement practices are brought into line with the principles enshrined in the Oviedo Convention;
- Public awareness on biomedical issues is increased;
- The overall level of human rights protection in the biomedical field is increased;
- Armenia is better prepared for the possible future ratification of the Oviedo Convention.
- Ratification of the Oviedo Convention
- The development of the Manual on Medical Secret and Confidentiality
- Armenian adaptation of the HELP Course on “Mental Health and Human Rights”
- Report on national legislation and practice concerning involuntary placement and treatment in psychiatric institutions with a specific focus on the procedural safeguards
- Development of the website for the Ethics Committee for healthcare professionals
- Project overview "Protection of human rights in biomedicine III"
- Project overview "Achievements of the Second Phase of the Project"
- Evaluation of the "Project Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine"
- Management response and Action plan
- Report on the “Analysis of domestic legal framework and practice on the restriction of legal capacity of persons with mental health issues: Execution of ECtHR judgement Nikolyan vs Armenia”
- Signature of the Oviedo Convention
- The adoption of the ethical rules for healthcare professionals
- Establishment of ethics committee for healthcare professionals
- Achievements of the First Phase of the Project
- Report on the analysis of national legislation in the field of biomedicine
- HELP training-of-trainers (ToT) session on Bioethics and first launch of the HELP course “Key human rights principles in Biomedicine” for health and legal professionals
- HELP course on “Key human rights principles” translated in Armenian
- Implementation of the HELP Course on “Mental Health and Human Rights”
- Promoting health literacy and public dialogue on health issues
- Strengthening professional ethics and the protection of patients’ rights
- Promoting patient autonomy in the field of mental health
- Revision of the legal framework of legal capacity institute
- Alignment of national legislation in the field of Transplantation of Organs and Tissues
- Integration of healthcare professionals from Karabakh region into Armenian healthcare system
- Psychological support to refugees from Karabakh region
Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention)
Oviedo Convention and Additional Protocols
Rec(2016)6 on Research on Biological Materials of Human Origin
Guide on prohibition on financial gain
Rules of professional ethics of healthcare professionals
Guide for research ethics commitee members
Report on Human Rights Based Approaches in Healthcare
Guide to Public Debate on Human Rights and Biomedicine
Report on the application of AI in healthcare
Guide to children’s participation in decisions about their health
Child-friendly summary of the Guide to children’s participation in decisions about their health
The development of the Manual on Medical Secret and Confidentiality
Call for tender for international consultancy
Applications must be received before 15 April 2025 (23:59 EVN time; 21:59 CET time).
26/02/2026
Lawrence Lwoff and Meri Katvalyan
2025
Interview of the Chair of the Ethics Committee for Healthcare Professionals of the Republic of Armenia
7 July 2025 | Aravot Daily news agency
25/05/2023
Remarks of the Minister of Health of the RA on the launching event of the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026
11/02/2023
How are violence against medical workers and other offenses punished in RA and European countries?
14/03/2022 | Ministry of Health
Interview with Laurence Lwoff, Head of the Bioethics Division of the Council of Europe,on adopted ethical rules for healthcare professionals
15/11/2021
Interview with Izabel Abgaryan
Local expert of the Project on the importance of the ratification of the Oviedo Convention and national legislation in the field of bioethics
22/09/2021 | PUBLIC RADIO OF ARMENIA
Interview with Laurence Lwoff
Head of the Bioethics Division of the Council of Europe