Start date: 1 January 2023

Duration: 24 months

Budget: EUR 900,000

Donor: The Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026

Partners: Ministry of Health; Human Rights Defender’s Office; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MESCS), Standing Committee of Healthcare and Social Affairs of the National Assembly, National Institute of Health of theRepublic of Armenia; Yerevan State Medical University.

Contact person: Ms Meri Katvalyan, Senior Project Officer

The project is the logical continuation of the first ever and extremely successful cooperation project in the sphere of the protection of Human Rights in biomedicine I, implemented within the Action plan for Armenia 2019-2022. Given the impressive impact on health-related aspects, for individuals and the society as a whole, of the Covid-19 pandemic, the cooperation in this field between the Council of Europe and the Republic of Armenia has become even more relevant. The large number of severe cases raises major ethical and human rights challenges that professionals and competent authorities have to address in tackling the pandemic and in taking care of their patients’ health.

Based on the results and lessons learned from the previous Project,  this Project aims at contributing to enhance awareness of the European  human rights’ and ethical standards in the field of biomedicine (e.g. informed  consent to any medical intervention,  the importance of medical secret and confidentiality, voluntary non-remunerated organ donation,  preservation of genetic heritage) and to support national authorities in their efforts to align  national legislation and practice in the field of biomedicine and healthcare with the European  human rights’ and ethical standards in the field of biomedicine. It will also contribute to preparing Armenia for joining  the Council of Europe Oviedo Convention.Convention on the 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 is focused on:

• Supporting the national authorities in their efforts to bring the legal norms in the field of biomedicine and healthcare closer to the European human rights and ethical standards.
• Further establishing the Ethics Committee for healthcare professionals, as well as strengthening the capacities of healthcare professionals on adopted ethical rules for the best interest and protection of patients' rights;
• Strengthening healthcare and legal practitioners’ skills and capacities to apply human rights and ethical standards (e.g. informed consent for medical intervention, protection of private life and right  to information,  non-discrimination, transplantation of organs and tissues, provision of mental health services, reproductive health rights and etc.).
• Supporting the development of public dialogue on human rights issues in the field of biomedicine and healthcare.

The cooperation project in the area of protection of human rights in biomedicine will be carried out in line with the priorities laid down in the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.  As stated in the Action Plan, Armenian authorities together with the Council of Europe identified enhancing human rights protection in the field of biomedicine as one of their priorities.  
The Project will contribute to the following specific outcomes of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia:

• Relevant legal norms and law-enforcement practices are brought into line with the principles enshrined in the Oviedo Convention;
• The overall level of human rights protection in the biomedical field is increased;
• The overall level of public dialogue on health issues is improved;
• Armenia is better prepared for the possible future ratification of the Oviedo Convention.

As part of its comprehensive response package to the refugee influx in Armenia, the project introduced a new component to support Armenian authorities in their efforts to fully integrate nearly 2000 healthcare professionals from Karabakh into the Armenian healthcare system, by enhancing their skills and capacities through training sessions and capacity-building activities. Additionally, the project will address the mental health challenges of refugees, focusing mainly on healthcare professionals, by strengthening the skills of psychologists, social workers, and other professionals. Furthermore, through an extensive public outreach campaign, the project aims to raise awareness of sensitive topics and issues related to refugees among the Armenian population.