OSCE Office in Yerevan and OSCE human rights body trains staff of Armenia's Human Rights Defender

YEREVAN, 13 November 2007 - An OSCE- supported training course for the office of Armenia's Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) began today in Yerevan.

The training course is organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the office of the Human Rights Defender, which invited the OSCE to organize the training course.

"All national human rights institutions have a role to play in protecting and promoting human rights," said Mark Guthrie, Deputy Head of ODIHR's Human Rights Department.

"We hope that this training, carried out upon the invitation of the Human Rights Defender will help strengthen the capacity of his office to work with both government and civil society on the prevention and resolution of citizen's complaints and thereby fulfil that role."

Armen Harutyunyan, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, added:
"This initiative will be very useful for furthering the professional skills of the staff of the Human Rights Defender."

The role of the Human Rights Defender is to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens against any breaches by central and local government.

Government officials and civil society representatives are taking part in the workshop with the staff of the Office of the Human Rights Defender. Invited speakers include officials from the Office of the UK Parliamentary and Heath Service Ombudsman Office of the Swedish Ombudsman for Ethnic Discrimination.

The training course, financed by Germany, is supported by the ODIHR Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders and National Human Rights Institutions to assist in the establishment and strengthening of independent human rights institutions capable of promoting and protecting human rights.