Deputy Minister of Justice discusses a wide range of issues of mutual interest with OSCE/ODIHR Director

On 27 November, Deputy Minister of Justice Kristinne Grigoryan met the delegation led by Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Ingibjörg Gísladóttir, who is in Yerevan for the purpose of taking part in the high-ranking conference dedicated to the 15^th anniversary of establishment of the Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia.

In the context of protection of human rights and of strengthening rule of law, the Deputy Minister highly appreciated the co-operation with the OSCE/ODIHR, viewing it as reliable and effective.

Director of the Office Gísladóttir welcomed the reforms being implemented in Armenia and expressed the willingness of the OSCE/ODIHR to provide support in several directions.

Kristinne Grigoryan informed that Armenia is currently in an important stage of reforms; the strategies for the judicial and legal sector and on the anti-corruption field have been adopted, whereas the draft of the National Strategy for Human Rights Protection is in the final stage of development. The Deputy Minister briefly presented the main measures being implemented and to be implemented in the three mentioned sectors, which are targeted at constitutional reforms, introduction of e-justice tools, increase of the level of public confidence in the judicial system, assessment of the integrity of judges and the representatives of law-enforcement authorities, as well as the creation of anti-corruption bodies, anti-corruption education, prevention of torture and ill-treatment, protection of the rights of children, etc. The importance of close co-operation with the Venice Commission was underlined for the development of all important legislative initiatives targeted at the reforms.

At the end of the meeting, an agreement was reached on developing the co-operation.