HRD of Armenia, ICMP Director discuss investigation of cases of  missing persons and issues on protection of rights of their family  members

ArmInfo.Today, the Human Rights Defender Ms. Kristinne Grigoryan hosted the delegation headed by the Director-General of the International Commission on Missing  Persons Ms. Kathryne Bomberger. The meeting was also attended by the  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to the  Netherlands H.E. Mr. Tigran Balayan.

As the press service of the RA HRD reports, welcoming the  representatives of the international commission, The Defender Ms.  Grigoryan presented the constitutional mandate of the Human Rights  Defender and the directions of the activities of the institution. The  Defender also informed their interlocutors about the high public  trust in the institution, which, according to the Defender, is an  important guarantee for the effective implementation of its mission.

Ms. Kristinne Girgoryan presented to the representatives of the  International Commission on Missing Persons the direction of the work  conducted by the institution of the Defender with the families of the  missing persons, which include solving everyday issues faced by them,  as well as providing legal counsel and mental health support, and  facilitating access to international human rights mechanisms. The  Defender underlined that the protection of the rights of both missing  persons and the relatives of prisoners of war and civilian captives  is in the center of his daily attention both in Armenia and in  Artsakh. 

In their turn, Ms. Kathryne Bomberger thanked the Defender for the  meeting, and presented the work experience of 25 years of the  International Commission on Missing Persons, which is aimed at  assisting states to study the cases of missing persons in the  post-war period, providing legal assistance to their families, as  well as to establishing appropriate investigative mechanisms and  institutional structures.

The Defender Ms. Grigoryan specifically underlined the importance of  the need to develop comprehensive legislation regulating the issues  of missing persons, as well as the need to create a capable and  robust institution system.

During the meeting, the sides of the meeting stressed the importance  of involving the relatives of the missing persons in both the  development of legislation and mechanisms. 

Concluding the meeting, the participants agreed on specific areas of  further cooperation.