Two years ago, the National Assembly adopted the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was one of the most important legislative amendments after 2010, when we ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Today, it was very important that we discussed, on the initiative of the representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGO), what steps have been taken in the direction of the implementation of the law and how awareness is organized in particular. The member of the Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan said this during the conference on 2 years after the adoption of the RA Law on Persons with Disabilities.
The conference took place on July 19 in Armenia within the framework of Towards Inclusive Armenia programme funded by the European Union.
In the last two years, the National Assembly has adopted a number of legislative initiatives regarding the rights of persons with disabilities. ‘It is very important that we jointly discuss the principles and opportunities of implementation of these laws with the organizations of persons with disabilities and structures representing their interests,” the deputy Zaruhi Batoyan noted.
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Back in 2017, the Coalition for Inclusive Legal Reforms was created at the initiative of Agate NGO. The Project Officer of Towards Inclusive Armenia Gayane Grigoryan mentioned that the aim of the conference is to promote the full implementation of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “In order to raise awareness about the amendment in the law, as well as to promote the employment of persons with disabilities, the coalition also carried out a number of activities within the framework of the programme, particularly, in different regions of Armenia and Yerevan, more than 70 workshops on the law were organized for about 1500 persons with disabilities and their family members, as well as for professionals operating in the field. Short-term employment contracts were signed with persons with disabilities and organizations dealing with their problems” Gayane Grigoryan said.
The RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Tatevik Stepanyan presented the work carried out by the executive body, which are aimed at promoting the awareness of persons with disabilities and increasing the level of employment.
The Head of Cooperation at EU Delegation to Armenia Frank Hess emphasized the full implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities and the discovery of real capabilities. “In Armenia, we promote inclusiveness at different levels: We work with both institutional and legal issues. We work with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in the field of social protection. We are trying to develop the capacity of public organizations so that they can support people with disabilities,” Frank Hess stated.
During the conference, the representatives of legislative, executive bodies, as well as non-governmental organizations touched upon the ways of raising the awareness of persons with disabilities and their expectations. The second part of the panel discussion was devoted to the employment of persons with disabilities.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
