To what extent are the economic, social and cultural rights of people protected in Armenia? In order to answer this question, the Eurasian Cooperation Foundation analyzed the progress of the UN Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee’s final observations on Armenia and published a report. It covers the period from 1999 to March 2022, within the framework of which the final observations were studied, the recommendations presented in them were highlighted, and observations were presented on the implementation of each of them, evaluations and recommendations on the implementation of the international obligations assumed by the Republic of Armenia.

We have singled out three main issues included in the report: right to work, health care and education, regarding which the Republic of Armenia failed to implement the recommendations.

Labor rights

In its observations of 1999 and 2014, the Committee expressed concern about the high level of unemployment in Armenia, especially in rural areas. The report states that many unemployed people are not registered in the official statistics, and 40% of those who have a job are employed in the informal sector of the economy, that is, they are not registered as employees, so they cannot benefit from the protection of economic and social rights guaranteed by the legislation.

The committee was concerned by the fact that although poverty has increased in Armenia, since 2014, the state has abolished unemployment benefits.

The author of the report, Tatevik Tokhyan, concluded that the Republic of Armenia did not fulfill the Committee’s recommendations regarding labor rights.

Right to health care

The report states that some problems in the healthcare sector are caused by the state of poverty in the country. There are serious problems of ensuring proper building and sanitary-hygienic conditions in healthcare institutions in Armenia. “Especially the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the wards provided free of charge within the scope of state-ordered medical care are very inadequate, due to which people receiving state-ordered medical care are often forced to choose paid wards,” the report states.

Control over the quality and volume of medical care is not properly carried out, and effective steps are not taken regarding complaints received from patients. In urban settlements in regions, a number of medical services are either absent or provided with such low quality that residents have to go to the capital, if they have sufficient financial means.

The author of the report concluded that the Committee’s recommendations regarding the right to health care have not been fulfilled, taking into account the socio-economic indicators affecting people’s health in Armenia, such as the aging of society, the cost of health services, the increase in chronic diseases, etc.

Right to education

In the Final Observations of 1999, the Committee noted with concern that the percentage of funds allocated to education by the Government of the Republic of Armenia has significantly decreased compared to allocations to other sectors. That tendency was preserved in the following decades as well. The share of education funding in the state budget has mainly decreased, from 14.5% (2007) to 8.4% (2016). Instead, an increase was recorded in the field of paid education.

According to the author of the report, the issue of financing science has been in an alarming state for years, because the salaries of researchers in the scientific system have been very low. There were slight increases in the salaries of researchers, but in the conditions of general inflation, these increases did not have a significant impact on the development of the sector.

According to the report, the recommendations regarding the right to education are not implemented.

Positive developments

Recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights regarding a number of other areas are either not implemented or partially implemented by the state. However, the Committee also noted some positive developments. In particular, in the final observations of 1999, the Committee gratefully acknowledged the efforts of the Government of Armenia to overcome many difficulties, particularly the consequences of natural disasters and armed conflicts, which led to the deterioration of the economic, social and political situation.

“The committee also noted with satisfaction the equal treatment of refugees and citizens of Armenia in the realization of economic, social and cultural rights,” the report states. The State’s ratification of a number of international human rights documents was also welcomed by the Committee.

Arman Gharibyan

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