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Advancing Council of Europe standards for the protection of internally displaced persons

The Council of Europe organised a discussion aimed at exploring the European standards for ensuring the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), namely the European Court of Human Rights case law and Council of Europe standards on IDP protection.

The discussion was organised to better analyse key judgments from the European Court of Human Rights that have shaped protections for internally displaced persons in several critical areas, including the right to enjoyment of possessions, the right to a home, family life, freedom of movement, electoral rights, protection against discrimination, and social protection for IDPs.

Additionally, the session addressed state responsibilities under the Council of Europe guidelines providing Armenian authorities with strategies to apply rights-based approaches in line with the Court’s established framework.

At the request of the Armenian authorities, this event was organised to support the early stages of drafting a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of IDPs. According to Armen Ghazaryan, Head of the RA Migration and Citizenship Service “Internal displacement is more complicated from the perspective of defining the legal status because the citizens of your country are being displaced, so it is important to analyse and understand how it is changing the situation from the legal point of view.”

By understanding the Council of Europe standards and European Court of Human Rights case law from the beginning, the Armenian authorities aim to create a stronger foundation for supporting the rights and dignity of IDPs.

This event was organised by the Council of Europe Action Plan project “Strengthening human rights safeguards for the displaced population in Armenia”.

YEREVAN, ARMENIA 7 NOVEMBER 2024
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What is the goal and objective of the project?

This project aims to provide tailored support to Armenian authorities in addressing the needs of displaced persons and refugees, with a specific emphasis on strengthening human rights institutions, particularly the Human Rights Defender’s Office and the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The project's primary emphasis is to accompany the authorities towards operating with an advanced legislative and policy framework related to displaced persons, ensuring that the letter enjoy basic human rights per the European Convention on Human Rights and other European standards. It also focuses on enhancing the capacity of legal professionals, relevant national authorities, and civil society organisations to respond effectively to the needs of the displaced population. Furthermore, the project aims to facilitate access to information on rights and available services for displaced persons, ensuring they are well-informed about their entitlements and available support.

 Start date: December 2023

 Duration: 30 months

 Funding: EUR 1,000,000, Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia for 2023- 2026

Main Partners: Ministry of Justice, Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Human Rights Defender’s Office

Contact person: Ms Tamara Barbakadze, Project Manager

 

Who benefits from the project?
  • Ministry of Justice
  • Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
  • Human Rights Defender’s Office
  • general public
How does the project work?

The cooperation project will be carried out in line with the priorities laid down in the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 through:  

  • tailored legislative and policy actions
  • capacity building of civil servants, legal professionals, and civil society organisations
  • raising awareness of the rights and available services for displaced persons
What do we expect to achieve?
  • National authorities operate with advanced legislative and policy framework, related to the displaced persons, and deriving from the need to address certain challenges.
  •  Legal professionals, relevant national authorities and civil society organisations operate with enhanced capacity while responding to the needs of the displaced population.
  •  Access to information on the rights and available services is facilitated for the displaced persons.
Reference documents