No one can take away the right of children to live happily in Artsakh - Human Rights Defender

On November 20, on the World Children's Day, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan visited the "SOS Children's Villages" Armenian charitable foundation located in Kotayk province, where children from Stepanakert, Kashatagh, and Berdzor institutions have also been relocated.

The Human Rights Defender got acquainted with the organization of children's care, which is based on providing support to children's educational, psychological, social, health, and other needs.

Accompanied by the director of the Kotayk branch of the "SOS Children's Villages" foundation and the director of the institution for children from Artsakh, the Defender toured the facilities and interacted with the children.

The children informed the Defender that they attend the community school, while preschool education is organized within the institution.

The Human Rights Defender emphasized the importance of the charitable foundation's work in supporting children from both Armenia and Artsakh, stressing that the best interests of children must always be taken into account in issues concerning them.

He reiterated that during the military actions initiated by Azerbaijan starting from September 27, 2020, there were gross violations of children's rights, as well as an inadequate and disproportionate response from the international community regarding these issues.

More important than abstract and declarative calls for action is the elimination of obvious violations of children's rights and the adoption of effective measures to prevent them by both domestic competent authorities and the international community, especially organizations engaged in the protection of children's rights.

It should be noted that the Human Rights Defender of Armenia is conducting ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the prevention and protection of violations of children's rights.