Armenian President Signs Law Ratifying Lanzarote Convention

The law ratifying the "Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse" has been submitted for the President's signature on May 12, this year. Before the adoption of the law by the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court reviewed and confirmed on March 31, 2020, that the obligations undertaken by the Convention are in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

The Convention emphasizes that the welfare and best interests of children are fundamental values for all member states of the Council of Europe. It has preventive significance in terms of informing children about the dangers related to violence against them and self-protection measures, and is also crucial for the protection of victims.

Armenia has been a member of the Council of Europe for over 20 years, during which period it has accepted the values of this crucial organization, which operates in the field of human rights protection, through numerous conventions, while harmoniously adhering to its national value system.

In this value system, family, children, their safety, and health are the subjects of special care for our state, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and each of us. It is this care and responsibility that make the subject of the Convention's regulations sensitive to us, and there have been concerns and questions in our society regarding its application.

However, it is evident that the answers to these questions should have been provided to the public at the time of signing the Convention in 2010, as well as during the ten years leading up to its ratification in the National Assembly.

It is commendable that, in response to public criticism and various considerations, responsible officials have made promises to prioritize solutions that have received universal approval in the future. It would have been more beneficial if the ratification process of the Convention had been accompanied by a well-developed, clear, specific, and predictable concept in line with these promises.

The competent authorities should carefully and professionally study and analyze the implementation methods and potential consequences of the Convention, as well as the capacities and possibilities of Armenia's healthcare, social, and law enforcement systems, in order to develop a clear program for implementing the legislative and practical measures envisaged by the Convention.

Judging by the accompanying explanatory note, the Convention grants states broad discretionary powers, which means that the Republic of Armenia is capable of choosing the most substantiated options based on the results of analyzing the experience of other states, as well as the conclusions of narrow specialists, especially child psychologists, legal experts, educators, and sociologists.

The measures aimed at implementing the Convention should be developed with the active involvement of relevant specialists and the broadest segments of society, based on public discussions, with the aim of best protecting children's interests. Solutions that correspond to our statehood, national values, culture, and our visions about the future and children must be found.

In developing measures aimed at the implementation of the Convention, the principle of the primary role and responsibility of the family/parents in the education and upbringing of children must be strictly maintained, as well as the unconditional condition for state bodies and educational institutions to collaborate and act in coordination with them.

The obligations undertaken must generally be fulfilled under the conditions specified in the Constitutional Court's decision about the “protection of relevant constitutional values” and “the necessary legislative safeguards should be consistent with the legal positions expressed in this decision.”

The President has always paid particular attention to all issues related to children, especially emphasizing measures aimed at their education, health, and ensuring a safe and carefree childhood as a primary priority among presidential initiatives.

The President's position on signing the law on the ratification of the Convention is very clear: yielding to certain calls for its non-signature in the presence of a decision on compliance with the Constitution would mean avoiding responsibility, which does not correspond to the constitutional and personal high responsibility perceived by the President and demonstrated in his actions so far.

In this regard, the President has repeatedly emphasized the importance of caring for children, stating that they are the most valuable citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the future of our country, and our attitude towards them reflects our love, respect, and care for our country.

The President believes that now, after the signing of the Convention, is the time to make up for the lost time over the past ten years of ineffective action, and that our main work towards children's education and protection starts today.

The President calls for cooperation from all interested bodies, organizations, and individuals, including presenting their concerns and proposals to the President's Office and implementing joint programs. In this process, the President emphasizes the importance of everyone’s attention to the implementation of the Convention and public oversight over it, which is the duty of each of us.

Today, the President signed the law on the ratification of the "Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse" and the certificate of ratification.

The President will continue to keep the process of conscientious and responsible implementation of the Convention as a personal priority within the framework of his constitutional powers and will closely monitor it, based on the recognition of the family and children as supreme values that characterize our national character.