Goal of the project 'Promoting UN Complaints Procedures in Armenia' is to increase the effectiveness of the implementation of UN human rights mechanisms and contribute to a more efficient investigation and better protection of human rights through the application of international complaint procedures. Project is supported by the UN Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR).
International human rights complaint mechanisms provide an opportunity that anyone may bring a complaint against a State party alleging a violation of treaty rights to the body overseeing the implementation of the relevant treaty. The decisions made by UN treaty bodies and their concluding observations are not only important in terms of protection of individuals’ rights, development of international law but can also be the basis for advocacy strategies aimed at decision-makers in the context of law-making or policy-making within the state. These mechanisms are hardly used in Armenia.
The project “Promoting UN Complaints Procedures in Armenia” will mainly focus on raising awareness of CSOs and lawyers and building their capacity in the preparation of human rights violation cases to be brought to the UN treaty-based bodies, and to make use of the special procedures. This will be done through (a) a comprehensive study on the procedures available to Armenia, admissible and inadmissible cases submitted; production of a set of recommendations on how to make the best use out of the complaint mechanisms; (b) development of a workshop module for and implementation of workshops for civil society, activists and lawyers. The project has an objective to promote awareness on Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and Individual Complaints Mechanisms under the UN Human Rights Treaties.
Apart from the individual complaint mechanisms, the use of special procedures can also contribute to the increased influence on human rights policies within the state. The UN SP mechanism – the work of special representatives and rapporteurs, independent experts and working groups, will be covered and highlighted at all stages of the project.