Category: News

Today, the European Union has published a comprehensive report on the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) for the period 2014-2015. The report is a prime example of how the European Union strengthens trade relations with partner countries, such as Armenia while insisting on sustainable development and governance reforms.

The EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) is designed to help partner countries develop their economies through benefitting from international trade. It grants reduced or zero tariffs on imports to the EU, making access to EU markets easier. Thus the GSP helps generate new business opportunities and trade revenues, which contribute to boosting economic growth, creating new employment opportunities and reducing poverty in beneficiary countries.

In particular, the GSP+ Special Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance provides additional support (full tariff removals) to countries which ratify and effectively implement 27 core international conventions on human rights, labour rights, good governance and environmental protection. Since the GSP reform applied as from 1 January 2014, the EU undertakes enhanced monitoring of the GSP+ beneficiaries’ compliance with these obligations with a view to support their efforts to improve the implementation of the conventions. Armenia benefits from the reformed GSP+ as from the start of its application.

The present first bi-annual report on the reformed GSP+ functioning examines how Armenia implemented its binding commitments made when entering the GSP+, in particular ratification and effective implementation of the relevant international conventions, reporting to the international monitoring bodies and cooperation with the EU side in its monitoring process. The report concludes that during the first GSP+ monitoring cycle, Armenia demonstrated genuine efforts to comply with its committments. At the same time, Armenia has to continue and in some cases step up its work to further improve its implementation of the conventions – not least striving to ensure that Armenian citizens experience human rights protection improvements in their everyday life – in order to keep the GSP+ benefits.

In particular, in 2014-2015, Armenia made an overall effort to address the shortcomings identified in its implementation of the conventions, primarily related to missing or inadequate legislation and awareness rising. At the same time, Armenia needs to further step up its efforts to effectively address several persisting human rights problems, in particular regarding the independence and integrity of the judiciary and of the political system as a whole, the insufficient legislative and enforcement framework against torture and ill treatment, widespread corruption, discrimination against minorities, discrimination and violence against women and child poverty. Regarding labour rights, Armenia’s legislation and practice on the official labour market are broadly in line with the ILO fundamental conventions. However, both should be improved on a number of points, in particular the freedom of association for employers and workers, more regular and effective labour inspection and prevention of discrimination at workplace. Armenia should also make more efforts to curtail unregulated employment. Armenia continued to make efforts to protect the environment through implementation of the legal framework and introduction of new specific legislation in several sectors (e.g. air, water, nature protection). Overall, Armenia takes good advantage of the EU substantial assistance on environmental protection and tackling of climate change and intends to continue doing so also to support its future priorities and objectives in these areas.

Based on the report´s findings, priority actions will be identified at the beginning of the next two-year monitoring cycle in 2016. While these may reflect deep-rooted and long-term issues, clear evidence of concrete progress to tackle these shortcomings will be expected over the next monitoring period. A number of projects can be launched to build Armenia’s capacity in meeting its GSP+ obligations.

Close cooperation with a wide range of partners is crucial to the success of the GSP+,. Apart from the Armenian authorities, the EU works with local and international human and labour rights experts and engages in an active dialogue with the civil society organizations in Armenia. In many cases, the civil society has welcomed the GSP+ arrangement as an incentive for change.

The next report on Armenia’s compliance with its GSP+ commitments will be published by November 2017.

The conventions covered by the GSP+ are grouped in the following four themes:

1) seven conventions on human rights protection (against torture, anti-discrimination, rights of women, children, and minorities, civil and political rights including freedom of expression and association, right to a fair trial and judicial independence);

2) eight International Labour Organisation’s conventions on labour rights (against forced labour and child labour, workers’ rights to collectively organise and bargain, against discrimination at work and equal pay for men and women);

3) eight conventions on environmental protection and climate change (to monitor hazardous waste and harmful pollutants, to safeguard biodiversity and endangered species and to tackle climate change); and

4) four conventions on good governance (to support countries to strengthen their governance and institutions – the UN convention against Corruption, as well as three UN conventions seeking to control illegal drugs).

GSP+ has a significant trade and economic importance for Armenia. In 2014, approximately 60 million EUR (equivalent of 32 billion AMD) worth export, which constituted 26% of the total Armenian export to the EU (228 million EUR or 120 billion AMD), benefitted from the GSP+ preferences and so were exported with zero tariffs. The picture further improved in the first half of 2015 when 58 million EUR (31 billion AMD) worth Armenian export to the EU benefitted from the GSP+ arrangement. This represents already 41 % of the total Armenian export to the EU (144 million EUR or 76 billion AMD).

Moreover, a large majority of the Armenian businesses exporting to the EU that can make use of the GSP+ actually used that opportunity and were granted duty free market access in 2014-2015. Armenia uses the GSP+ in particular in these export sectors: clothing, aluminium, crayfish, juices, jams and other processed food, nuts and other seeds.

The 2015 statistics of the European Court of Human Rights has been published. According to the report, in all countries of the Council of Europe, there were a total of 823 judgments in 2015, of which 692 (84%) found at least one violation of the convention.

The States with the highest number of judgments finding at least one violation of the Convention were Russia (109 judgments), Turkey (79), Romania (72), Ukraine (50), Greece (43) and Hungary (42).

There were 8 judgments on cases brought against Armenia, and in all cases at least one violation was found. This number of judgments in 2015 is higher than in 2014, when only 4 judgments were delivered.

The highest number of violations found in Armenian cases concerned the right to a fair trial (5 violations).

By the end of 2015 the total number of pending cases stood at 64,850, a decrease of 7 % compared with the end of 2014 (69,900 applications pending) and more than 50% from a highpoint of 151,600 in 2011.

The countries with the highest number of applications pending before the Court were Ukraine (21.4% of the total), Russia (14.2%), Turkey (13%), Italy (11.6%) and Hungary (7.1% – a sharp increase from 2.6% in 2014); between them, these five countries accounted for over two-thirds of the total number of pending cases. 958 applications against Armenia are pending before the Court.

In relation to population, the number of Armenian cases allocated to a judicial formation in 2015 was 0.40 per 10,000 people – comparable to Greece, Luxembourg and Russia. The countries with the highest number of cases allocated to a judicial formation were Ireland (0.04 per 10,000 people), Denmark (0.08) and the UK (0.09).

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French President Francois Hollande attended the annual dinner of the Co-ordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF).

Addressing the meeting, President Hollande said he had re-launched the debate on a law that would punish the denial of the Armenian genocide by entrusting a mission to the former President of the European Court of Human Rights Jean-Paul Costa. “I’ve asked Jean-Paul Costa to search any solid, incontestable route that would protect the memory of the Armenian genocide,” said the head of state. He said that Jean-Paul Costa will in a “very short time,” review the “conclusions” that will guarantee there will be no legal dispute.

He added that a law that could be condemned by the European Court of human Rights would be “a terrible defeat for France and the Armenian Cause.

The President assured the initiative had “nothing to do with future elections.” “The challenge is to reconcile,” he said, noting that “Armenia as Turkey will always find France at their side to help them advance on the path of dialogue.”

The CCAF presented four medals of bravery. The first medal was awarded to the Socialist Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, for her “unwavering commitment to the Armenians”, as recalled Mourad Papazian. He stated all she had done for the community during the genocide centennial: exhibition in the town hall of Paris, presence in the presidential delegation in Yerevan April 24, 2015 and then to the Komitas statue in Paris, her initiative to turn off the Eiffel Tower for the first time.

The three other awardees were Republicans MP Patrick Devedjian, Mark Moogalian, who helped prevent a terrorist act in a Paris-bound train and Meral Cildir, Vice President of the Turkish Association of Human Rights.

From the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, our sacred sanctuary established by Christ, We extend Our Pontifical blessings and congratulations to the brave officers and soldiers of the Armenian Armed Forces, and all Armenians throughout the world on the occasion of Armed Forces Day.

The formation of the Armenian Army is a great achievement of our independent state which is the result of the struggle, love and devotion of our brave soldiers for the Homeland.

Today, through the feats of our soldiers and commanders; and sometimes by sacrificing their lives, the borders of our country are intact and protected. The valiant spirit of the Armenian soldier gives encouragement to our people, guiding us to serve to our Homeland with devotion, zeal and love for each other.

In front of the Holy Altar, we pray that our Heavenly Lord blesses and keeps all the soldiers and commanders victorious.

And may the grace, love and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us. Amen

Reuters – There have been 13 popes named Leo in the history of the Roman Catholic Church but perhaps none of them was as famous as the Leo who entered the Vatican on Thursday – Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio, who is known as Leo, was received by Pope Francis, the Vatican said, without giving details.

But the one-line announcement was enough to send photographers and television crews scrambling to stake out the Vatican’s gates to try to catch him coming out.

Footage issued later from Vatican television showed that the audience was connected to their mutual concern about the environment and climate change.

DiCaprio, speaking Italian, thanked the pope for receiving him and then, switching to English, gave him a book of paintings by 16th century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.

Pointing to one painting, DiCaprio told the pope it had hung over his bed as a boy and said “through my child’s eyes it represented our planet.”

“It represents to me the promise of the future and enlightenment and it is representational of your view here as well,” he said. He later gave the pope a check for an undisclosed sum which appeared to be a donation for papal charities.

Last week, the 41-year-old Oscar nominee was honored at the 22nd Annual Crystal Awards held at the World Economic Forum in Davos for his foundation’s support of conservation and sustainability projects.

The pope wrote a major Catholic Church document known as an encyclical last year in defense of the environment and has often said that time was running out for mankind to save the planet from the potentially devastating effects of global warming.

The pope gave DiCaprio a copy of his encyclical and asked the actor to pray for him.

Photo: DHA 

The Executive Committee of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies (H.R. Network) issued a statement endorsed by 28 Nobel laureates in support of Turkish academics who have come under fire for signing a petition calling for an end to military operations in southeast Turkey, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

In a statement released on Jan. 19, the committee, which uses the international stature of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to advocate in support of non-violent academics, said it was “alarmed” by the increasingly “repressive and inflammatory” reactions of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government against opposition voices.

The H.R. Network expressed concern that “intolerant individuals” and university officials who have joined government officials in accusing the academics, “solely because they publicly expressed humanitarian concerns about the grave crisis in southeastern Turkey.”

“We condemn any threats, false accusations, and incitement to violence against our colleagues by the government of Turkey,” it said, while reminding the government of its obligation under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to ensure that its citizens are free to hold and disseminate their opinions.

“Surely, citizens of a democratic country such as Turkey, and its academics in particular, have a civic duty to remind their government, when deemed necessary, of its obligation to respect Turkey’s constitution, adhere to humanitarian standards for all of its citizens, and give priority to peaceful solutions in crisis situations,” the statement added.

Just a day after the committee’s statement, on Jan. 20, the European University Association (EUA) also published a press release expressing “deep concern” over the treatment of Turkish academics.

“The EUA would also like to underline that, irrespective of the content of the petition, freedom of expression is a core university value and a sine qua non of democratic societies,” the statement said, adding that the Turkish government and the country’s Higher Education Council (YOK) should respect freedom of expression.

The association added that it was “dismayed” by the detention of signatory academics at Kocaeli University, which is itself an EUA member.

Universities and prosecutor’s offices across Turkey have launched investigations into many of the 1,128 local and international academics and intellectuals who signed the petition titled “We Will not be a Party to this Crime,” arguing that the petition went beyond the limits of academic freedoms.

The investigations and detentions came soon after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed the petition’s signatories, stating that human rights violations in the southeast are being committed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and not the Turkish state.

Photo: Reuters

Armenian hackers from Monte Melkonian Cyber Army attacked Azerbaijani government websites for Armenia Army Day.

‪MMCA started a ‪‎DDOS attack ‪ed Azerbaijani ‪‎government websites and downed the E-Government Portal(e-gov.az), Ministry of Taxes of the Republic of Azerbaijan
(taxes.gov.az), The official Internet resource of the State Bodies (gov.az) ,‪ ‎leaked data from Civil Service Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (csc.gov.az).

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On the occasion of Army Day, President Serzh Sargsyan along with the President of NKR Bako Sahakian, His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and the highest leadership of the Republic visited today the Erablur Military Pantheon and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian sons who sacrificed their lives for Armenia’s Independence.