With an aim to make the young voices heard in public health discussions, the Council of Europe hosted an interactive workshop in Lori region, bringing healthcare rights to the forefront for the youth as the next generation of rights holders.

With the right timing following the World Health Day and the recent adoption of the RA Law on the ratification of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention) by Armenia, the event gathered 45 teenagers aged 12–17 at the innovative COAF SMART Centre.

“Young people are the key players in shaping the present,” mentioned Meri Katvalyan, Senior Project Officer of the Council of Europe. “With this workshop we try to empower them with skills to understand their healthcare rights and speak up when those rights are at risk.”

Over two dynamic days, participants learned more about the national and international healthcare rights through engaging activities, group discussions, and real-life case studies. Topics included informed consent, medical confidentiality, and the ethical obligations of healthcare professionals—core principles enshrined in the Oviedo Convention, the only legally binding international treaty on human rights in biomedicine.

The workshop was focused on an interactive lecture-discussion session with the Human Rights Defender of Armenia Anahit Manasyan on the right to health protection as a fundamental human right emphasising the significance of healthy environment in people’s physical and mental health. The message to the youth was as follows: understanding your rights is the first step to protecting them, while also making sure they are respected for others is important.

“This was my first experience with a training session like this. We gained valuable skills and knowledge, and we also had meaningful discussions about our rights,” one teenager shared.

Council of Europe experts used storytelling and hands-on exercises, resulting in active conversations and deep engagement.

As a result, the young participants returned to to their communities better informed and inspired, ready to make changes and confident that their meaningful engagement in public dialogue on healthcare issues is important and needed.

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