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Launch of the Council of Europe package of measures in response to the refugee influx in Armenia

The Council of Europe launched today a comprehensive response package to the refugee influx in Armenia of € 2.8 million.

As part of the package, the Council of Europe has launched four new initiatives and incorporated additional components into two ongoing projects. “The response package aims at protecting the human rights of refugees, resilience of the local communities, social rights, children and women, and support to human rights institutions”, underlined Claus Neukirch, Director of Programme Coordination of the Council of Europe. “The response package supports authorities with addressing capacity constraints in many areas that are critical not only to refugees but to all people with vulnerabilities”, said David Best, Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees of the Council of Europe.

“Following the influx of refugees in September 2023, the Government of Armenia did its best to provide a quick response to the refugee. The response includes short-, mid-, and long-term measures of support. Now we are in the stage of long-term measures.  Cooperation with the Council of Europe is very important to us, and we highly value the support of the Council of Europe and its response package to the refugees’ influx", said the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia Narek Mkrtchyan. 

New projects to be launched as part of the package:

  • Strengthening Human Rights Safeguards
  • Enhancing Social Human Rights
  • Protecting Children’s Rights 
  • Support to Host Communities

Ongoing projects with new components added:

  • Promoting Gender Equality and Ending Violence against Women
  • Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine

The package of measures is a result of the visit by the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG) in October 2023, during which specific areas for support were jointly identified with the national authorities. The package is in line with the Council of Europe's Action Plan for Armenia (2023-2026) and the Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons within the context of migration and asylum (2021-25).




 Council of Europe launches a package of measures in response to the refugee influx in Armenia

 Download the overview of the Council of Europe comprehensive response package to the refugee influx in Armenia in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan 2023-2026 for Armenia

 Visit the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe web page on Armenia

 Visit the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan website

 Press release

 
 
YEREVAN, ARMENIA 11 April 2024
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Start date: January 2024

Duration: 24 months

Budget: 150 000 EUR

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

Partners: RoA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, local authorities in Armenia, local government associations, civil society organisations

Contact Person: Ms Ani Dallakyan, Senior Project Officer

The project Support to Host Communities aims to assist local communities in responding effectively and with a human-rights focus to the influx of displaced population. It is aimed at fostering the establishment of short and long-term solutions to the refugee crisis by:

  • Supporting tailored projects (grants) aiming at addressing the immediate and mid-term needs of host communities, with a longer-term view of strengthening public services.
  • Supporting the development and adoption of resilience building strategies by consolidated communities to enhance their preparedness in facing future crises.

The project's twofold implementation strategy involves launching a grant scheme targeting communities with a significant refugee population.

 

Additionally, to facilitate a shift from emergency response to effective resilience mechanisms, access to grants is contingent upon a commitment to implementing Resilience Building Strategies in accordance with Council of Europe standards and established toolkits.