Demography strategy development works started 2 years ago. Taking into consideration the post-war situation, as well as the demographic indicators of the last period, there was a necessity to develop a new strategy. The previous strategy was adopted in 2009-2010 and did not reflect the current situation. This was stated by the RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Davit Khachatryan during the debates in the NA Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs. At the core of the debates initiated by the Committee was the draft of the demography strategy of Armenia.
The Deputy Minister informed that the UN Population Fund suggested forming an advisory group to carry out these works. Ameria Management Advisory Service was chosen, the best local and international experts and demographers were included in the working team. The document was discussed in international authoritative institutions, some revisions were made based on the proposals and criticisms, and new strategic solutions were proposed.
The vision of the strategy is a balanced and stable structure of the population aimed at the development of the long-term human capital of the population and the improvement of the quality of life.
Davit Khachatryan presented the strategic goals arising from this vision. The first strategic goal refers to the creation of an environment that promotes family well-being, where the birth of each child will contribute to the development of human capital. The next goals are related to reducing the risk factors of death and promoting a healthy environment, ensuring active, healthy and dignified old age conditions, reducing the motivations leading to emigration and ensuring competitiveness in the processes of formation, maintenance and involvement of highly qualified human capital.
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According to the Deputy Minister, the strategy is data-based, studies are based on facts, there are no intuitive conclusions. Data collection has been carried out since 1897 by analyzing demographic indicators collected in any way in Armenia. About 125 years of digital image analysis has been performed.
According to the Chair of the RA Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs Heriknaz Tigranyan, a number of external and internal challenges faced by our country were taken into account when developing the draft. The Committee Chair assured that the basis of this strategy is the development of human capital, the pillars of the strategy are aimed at family well-being, health promotion, active aging and management of migration flows. About 120 actions and measures arising from the strategy are aimed at ensuring the implementation of 4 main goals.
“A balanced and qualitatively structured society is necessary. It is necessary that the representatives of the older generation are also involved, and this component is called active aging. “Measures should be taken to promote birth rate and decrease the number of deaths, investments should be made in the development of human capital in order to have a self-sufficient society,” the Committee Chair mentioned.
Heriknaz Tigranyan underlined that the document will be approved by the decision of the Government, and a number of drafts regarding the regulation of the legal framework arising from the strategy will be the subject of the Parliament’s discussion. Before submitting the document for Executive approval, MPs can make proposals.
The representative of the UN Population Fund assured that the international best practice was taken into consideration in the development of the document.
Then the Director of Management Advisory Services of Ameria Tigran Jrbashyan presented in detail the content of the strategy, the description of the current situation in the field, the results, the main effects, the financial framework, strategic plans and measures. Approximately 700 proposals were submitted.
During the exchange of ideas, proposals and observations were presented on the provisions of the strategy.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
