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Armenia promoting human rights in mental health through HELP Course

The Council of Europe is committed to strengthening the protection of persons with mental health conditions and improving mental health care through a human rights-based approach.

In this context, the Council of Europe  HELP Course on “Mental Health and Human Rights” was developed in 2024 to support aligning national healthcare with European standards.

Designed using HELP methodology and in close co-ordination with the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO), the course is tailored to the learning needs of legal and healthcare professionals working with people with mental health issues.

The Course is relevant not only for Armenia but also for other Council of Europe member states, as it supports increased knowledge of applicable human rights standards among health-care and legal professionals, as well other relevant stakeholders. It also addresses the rights of persons in particularly vulnerable situations, including migrants and refugees, and persons deprived of liberty.

The course was adapted to the Armenian domestic framework in 2025, following the certification of 18 tutors.  On 5 June 2026, health-care and legal professionals working in the field of mental health gathered to mark the successful completion of the four cohorts and the launch of two new cohorts. Graduates of the training program underlined the practical relevance of the course, noting its comprehensive coverage of European Court of Human Rights case law, comparative legal frameworks and international good practice. One of participants described the curriculum as  “content-rich and deeply engaging”.

“The course will undoubtedly contribute to improving our practical knowledge needed to identify and contribute to the improvement of the national legislation in this particular field and to support the application of human rights standards for persons with mental health conditions at the national level”, mentioned one of the participants.

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

YEREVAN, ARMENIA 5 JUNE 2026
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The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organisation, with 46 member states, including Armenia. All our member states are party to the European Convention on Human Rights, which is the cornerstone of human rights protection in Europe.

The Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, represents the Secretary General in Armenia. It closely co-operates with national authorities supporting the implementation of statutory obligations to the Council of Europe by Armenia through co-operation projects.

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The Council of Europe works for you. We want to give visibility to the role, standards and work of the Council of Europe in its member states, to show how Council of Europe membership has helped achieve particular results or changes. Our aim, through a variety of events and actions, is to highlight ways in which the Council of Europe’s action has helped improve the life of individuals and contributed to improving people’s enjoyment of fundamental rights.

Whether it is the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights at national level, or the Council of Europe's work in many fields, such as working to abolish the death penalty or to ensure freedom of expression and freedom of the media, or to adress online and technology-facilitated violence against women through the Istanbul Convention and Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, the Council of Europe has achieved a lot since 1949. 

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