On 24 July the Council of Europe organised a roundtable discussion with national authorities of Armenia with a view to support the country's efforts in deinstitutionalisation reform and enhance the protection of the rights of unaccompanied and separated children. The event brought together national authorities and civil society organisations to address gaps and needs in the current child protection system and propose actionable and targeted recommendations.

Tatevik Stepanyan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia, opened the meeting and highlighted the importance of safeguarding the rights of unaccompanied and separated children. Karine Moreau and Anne-Laure Baulieu, Project Managers from the CoE Children's Rights Division in Strasbourg, emphasized the necessity of close cooperation between public authorities, civil society, and other key stakeholders in developing a child-centered care and protection system.

During the event CoE international and national consultants, Irina Urumova, Davit Melkonyan and Sergey Ghazinyan, presented a comprehensive set of practical recommendations to enhance the protection of children’s rights in Armenia, with a specific focus on the unaccompanied and separated children. The recommendations are based on the needs assessment and gap analysis report developed from May to July 2024.

The event concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation and ensuring the effective implementation of the reform agenda, including legislative development, capacity building, and awareness raising of children and professionals working with and for children. As a follow-up, the project will develop a set of manuals for professionals working with children on mental health and psychosocial support, and effective guardianship.

The event was organised within the framework of the “Protecting the Rights of Armenian Children in Post-Conflict Context” project.