Human Rights Defender's Package of Proposals for Benefits to Military Personnel and Their Families Sent to Parliament

The package of proposals aimed at providing benefits to military personnel and their families, developed by the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, has been sent to the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security, along with sectoral committees and factions, as well as the Ministry of Defense.

The package includes justifications for the acceptance of the proposals. This package has been forwarded to the aforementioned institutions considering the recent establishment of the Government and the bodies of the National Assembly.

Among the benefits proposed by the Human Rights Defender are, for example:

• The right to priority in job preservation
• The mandatory provision of unpaid leave
• The entitlement to choose the timing of annual leave
• The right to priority in state employment programs, etc.

The adoption of benefits developed by the Office of the Human Rights Defender for servicemen and their family members will have significant social importance and will contribute to enhancing the reputation of military service. The proposed benefits will also elevate the status of current and former servicemen.

The real beneficiaries of the presented proposals may include military personnel of various categories or their family members, including:
a) Conscripts and contract servicemen, including those of the rank-and-file, non-commissioned, and officer's corps and their family members;
b) Participants in combat operations of the Republic of Armenia's defense;
c) Servicemen who acquired disabilities during the defense of the Republic of Armenia, their family members and families of deceased servicemen;
d) Individuals who participated or are participating in combat operations of other countries under military assistance contracts with the Republic of Armenia or state authorized bodies in the defense sector and their family members, etc.

The importance of the package of proposals is especially pronounced in the post-war period, when the guarantee, reinforcement, and protection of the rights of military personnel and their family members is a priority imperative.

Military service must be valued in every possible way, and the proposed benefits will help make military service more attractive for those currently in service and their families.

It is noteworthy that based on these proposals, an extraordinary report was published in 2021, taking into account relevant international experience.