Human rights in the armed forces in focus of a study visit to Sweden of a delegation of Armenia’s Ministry of Defence and the Human Rights Defender’s Office staff

On 22-23 November 2022, a delegation from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Human Rights Defender’s Workplace of the Republic of Armenia (HRDO) consisting of 12 individuals, participated in a research go to held in Swedish Armed Forces´ Headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. The go to was organized inside the framework of the Council of Europe Venture “Human Rights and Ladies within the Armed Forces in Armenia – Part II.

The delegation included the Assistant and the Gender Advisor of the Minister of Defence, the Head of the Human Rights and Integrity Constructing Centre of the MoD, Deputy Human Rights Defender, representatives of the Ladies Councils of army models and different professionals from the MoD and the HRDO.

The 2-day go to consisted of briefings and discussions on the Swedish Armed Forces on disciplinary system, together with however not restricted to the whistle-blower safety in armed forces, know-how and methodologies required to be an efficient instrument of human rights and equality promotion within the military, together with prevention of hazing and discrimination. As well as, a go to to one of many garrisons was organised, the place the representatives of the Armenian delegation met with native employers and army police. The Armenian Delegation additionally visited the Nordic Centre for Gender in Army Operation.

The Armenian and Swedish counterparts emphasised that the research go to supplied a chance to debate matters of mutual curiosity and customary challenges with the friends. The representatives of the Armenian delegation have been notably within the system of army self-discipline, together with the whistle-blower system, of in addition to the conscription, which from 1 July 2017 grew to become necessary in Sweden for female and male. In line with the Program of the Authorities of Armenia for 2021-2026, strengthening human rights and selling girls within the armed forces is part of the strategic human rights agenda of the Authorities of Armenia. The massive-scale means of structural and substantive reforms of the Armed Forces of Armenia has been launched with a view to step by step transition to an expert military. With this respect the expertise of Sweden was of a selected curiosity.

The Venture is carried out by the Council of Europe inside the framework of the Council of Europe Motion Plan for Armenia for 2019-2022.