In 2023 Armenia ratified the Rome Statute, becoming the 124th State Party to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 1 February 2024. This landmark decision, reached after a complex ratification procedure initiated in 1999 when Armenia signed the Rome Statute, could be key to strengthening accountability, achieving justice, and contributing to lasting peace in the region. On 5 November the
Since November 2023 with support from the Democracy Development Foundation, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor office has been providing free legal aid to persons forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The aim of this initiative was to enhance access to social support programs offered by the Armenian government for these individuals. It also seeks to improve the efficiency of state and community support programs
On October 8, Arpi Harutyunyan, Justice and Human Rights Portfolio Manager at the Democracy Development Foundation, participated in the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). During the conference, she addressed the worsening xenophobia and hatred towards Armenians in Azerbaijan. Below, we present the Armenian translation of Arpi Harutyunyan’s speech: ՛՛Thank
We, the undersigned civil society organizations, welcome the start of the visa liberalization dialogue between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union. This important step underscores the deepening cooperation between Armenia and the European Union, reflecting the willingness of both sides to foster closer ties, expand mobility and advance universal values. We express our willingness to support the implementation
On July 18, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia (MIA) and Democracy Development Foundation organized a public discussion on the draft police reform strategy and its 2024-2026 Action Plan. Around 50 representatives, including the police leadership, state bodies and agencies, international organizations, and non-governmental and human rights organizations, attended the discussion. Before this public discussion, a
The e-health system is an integrated system for managing health data, where comprehensive public health data is entered and stored. The system enables the attending doctor, whenever necessary, to electronically view the patient’s health history and to make informed decisions regarding their treatment. Starting from 2017, all medical services provided with government financing or on concessional terms have been channeled
Interesting leisure plus new knowledge. The Public Journalism Club and Democracy Development Foundation present a new product, the intellectual board game “Iravunk”. The development of the game was implemented with “The Game”. The game is designed for future lawyers, as well as journalists covering the legal field, educators and citizens interested in legal field. “There is a need to present
A new three-year initiative on improvement of mental health has kicked-off on April 16 in Yerevan. The main objective of the EU funded “Rights, Services, Participation: Fostering a Comprehensive Mental Health Framework in Armenia” project is to support the development of a legal framework necessary for provision of accessible and inclusive mental health services, the introduction of mechanisms and the
Democracy Development Foundation and CommsHub Foundation supported the Theatre of Change cultural non-governmental organization in staging four performances on the prevention of school bullying for schools of the Ararat and Kotayk regions during March. “The Fall Fairy Tale: Three plus One Little Pigs” performance was watched by a total of 400 students, including children forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The performances
At the initiative of the Democracy Development Foundation (DDF), over a dozen civil society organizations developed and submitted to the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Internal Affairs a package of recommendations for the developing Armenia police new reform strategy and 2024-2026 action plan. The package of recommendations includes several sectoral issues mapped by the civil society organizations, which were raised