Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

On 19-20 February 2024, the regional conference for the Building Resilience in the Eastern Neighborhood (BREN) programme took place in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. Civil society representatives from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan participated in the conference. 

BREN is implemented with the financial support of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund - CSSF, in cooperation with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting - IWPR and Global Network of Women Peacebuilders -GNWP.

During the conference, the participant country representatives had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with one another’s activity and discuss potential for further cooperation.

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor was among civil society organizations representing Armenia. Noteworthy, since September 2023, HCA Vanadzor has been carrying out a study of the situation of women’s rights in armed forces based on the  RA national action plan of 2022-2024 for implementation of the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1325 "Women, Peace, Security".

In the frame of the project, HCA Vanadzor is implementing a study of the RA domestic legislation to identify to what extent military service-related legislation reflects and safeguards female service persons’ rights in the armed forces. At the same time, the Organization is studying the best international practices to ensure women’s safety and exclude manifestations of discriminatory, ill and degrading treatment towards women in the process of involving them in military service. In addition, through interviews conducted with service persons in the frame of this study, HCA Vanadzor discloses the degree of implementation of the state’s obligation to protect female service persons’ rights in practice.

The study conducted by HCA Vanadzor in the frame of BREN is to be completed in March 2024, and the study findings, together with recommendations on relevant changes,  will be shared with the public and competent state organizations.