A/HRC/29/11
violence and provisions for support to victims had been incorporated in the Law on Social
Support adopted in December 2014.
96.
Armenia detailed reforms to child protection, including early prevention measures,
which had been developed with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Mechanisms to improve adoption procedures were being prepared. Since 2010, the
Government had adopted programmes for the creation of social housing for disadvantaged
people, including young people who had previously lived in children’s homes.
97.
Turning to health issues, Armenia outlined reforms aimed at increasing access to,
and increasing the quality of, health services, with an emphasis on prevention and early
detection of diseases. Maternal and child health were on target to meet the relevant
Millennium Development Goals. Steps had been taken to reduce the risks of corruption and
do away with informal payments, including by raising public awareness of the right to free
health care and dismissing staff who had demanded such payments. Work had been
undertaken to address intolerance towards HIV/AIDS sufferers, including in schools.
98.
Armenia disagreed with assertions that women were discriminated against in terms
of access to health care: more than 30 per cent of the health budget was allocated to
programmes supporting mothers and children. Armenia was one of the few countries where
15-year-old girls received a comprehensive assessment of their development and
reproductive health.
99.
Armenia detailed the measures the Government had taken to ensure equal access to
education, especially for vulnerable groups. In 2014, the National Assembly had adopted
the new Law on General Education, under which there would be a move to completely
inclusive education by 2022. Inclusive education had been incorporated in 10 per cent of
schools. In higher education, the Government would continue to improve access for young
people from vulnerable groups. In 2014, the categories of persons eligible to receive
stipends had been extended.
100. Armenia provided details of the licences issued for digital television broadcasting.
Monitoring of the general elections in 2012 and municipal elections in 2013 had shown that
opposition parties had received most air-time in practically all transmissions. In relation to
the case of A1+ Television, Armenia had fulfilled all of the demands of the European Court
of Human Rights and A1+ had returned to broadcast in 2012 in a new form.
101. Equatorial Guinea commended Armenia for its voluntary commitments. It
welcomed strategies and plans of action to protect and enhance human rights, and
mentioned the measures taken for persons with disabilities and to preserve and protect the
popular traditions of minorities.
102. Estonia welcomed the ratification of CRPD and commended the adoption of the
National Strategy and Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights. It invited Armenia
to pay attention to violence against women. It highlighted its development cooperation with
Armenia.
103. Finland commended Armenia for increasing the budget of the Human Rights
Defender and was pleased to note that the increased budget had resulted in the continued
operation of its rapid response service and some of its local offices.
104. France welcomed the progress made since the first cycle. It welcomed the adoption
of a comprehensive programme for judicial reform for the period 2012‒2016 and enquired
about the status of the programme.
105. Germany commended Armenia for its progress in some areas, particularly
trafficking in persons. It noted that the administration of the 2012 Parliamentary and 2013
12
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