Panel Discussion on Protection of Labor Rights in Armenia

The "Human Rights Research in Armenia: Current and Emerging Issues," organized by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and Yerevan State University, took place on December 1. Its purpose was to stimulate debate and discussion on various human rights-related topics in Armenia. It also aimed to bring together scholars, human rights defenders, and policymakers, contributing to the development of the human rights research community in Armenia.

HRRC was featured on the Panel Discussion "Realization of the Right to Work as an Essential Prerequisite for Overcoming Poverty', along with our colleagues from the European University of Armenia, Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia and UN Women-Armenia.

As the moderator of this panel, Anahit Simonyan, Director of HRRC, first emphasized the lack of rights-based approaches to poverty reduction in the context of Armenia's policy making. She then talked about recent alarming cases indicated systemic gaps in the protection of labour rights in Armenia.

"From the point of view of the protection of labor rights and, overall, social rights in Armenia, we have witnessed alarming cases of serious human rights violations, among which is the recent case of the explosion at the "Surmalu" Shopping Center,"- said Anahit Simonyan.

Further, Isabella Iskandaryan, the Chair of Law at the European University of Armenia, talked about the intrinsic link between the freedom to choose an occupation and social justice, in this context, emphasizing a human-centered approach.

"For any positive dynamic in this field there is a need to have a wider and inclusive discussion on how we can achieve social justice, and the role of the social partnership in this context is vital ," said Isabella Iskandaryan.

Anna Barikyan, a lawyer at the Confederation of Trade Unions of Armenia, highlighted the importance of decent work in Armenia.

"In conditions of poverty, people often overlook the availability of decent working conditions, which further threatens full realization of multiple human rights." said Anna Barikyan.

At the conclusion of the Panel, UN-Women- Armenia representative Olga Azatyan spoke about economic development and the empowerment of women, emphasizing the importance of overcoming gender inequality and discrimination in labour relations.

Advancement of rights-based social agenda in Armenia is a strategic direction of the work of Human Rights Research Center. We extend our appreciation to the organizers of the conference and participants of the Panel for stimulating an active discussion on labour rights protection and presenting solutions to address existing problems and shortcomings.