On September 16, Human Rights Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan received delegations from “My Step” and
“World Vision Armenia” Foundation, led by Hovhannes Ghazaryan and Jirayr Edilyan.
The Ombudsman welcomed the decision of the organizations to operate in Artsakh. He emphasized that
the population of Artsakh conditioned by the international status of the Republic of Artsakh is largely
deprived of the direct opportunity to participate in international programs and to share the experience
gained.
Therefore, Armenian organizations have a great deal to fill that gap by actively engaging in the processes
of human rights protection, capacity building, poverty reduction and other similar programs in Artsakh.
The Foundation representatives briefly presented their work and future plans, expressing their readiness
to use their potential to protect and promote the rights and interests of Artsakh residents.
H. Ghazaryan and J. Edilyan informed that in the first phase of their activities they plan to implement a
step-by-step poverty reduction program for 20 Artsakh families with the support of My Step Fund, within
the framework of which the beneficiary families will be supported: capacity building, sustainable income
growth and effective management.
The Ombudsman expressed his support for the implementation of a new approach to poverty alleviation,
stressing that in order to be effective, it is necessary to assess in depth the needs of families and to take
into account the specificities of the place. He expressed hope that the positive results of the program would
also contribute to the long-term effectiveness of public sector programs.
The parties agreed to continue the contacts and discuss the possibilities of implementing other joint projects.
