Statement by H.E. Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations, at the UNGA80 Third Committee/General Debate

Mr. Chair,

I congratulate the members of the Bureau on assuming the leadership of the Third Committee and wish every success in steering the work of the 80th session of the General Assembly.

Armenia has consistently demonstrated its commitment to promoting and protecting human rights at both national and international levels. Our priorities include enhancing transparency and accountability, combating corruption, strengthening judicial independence, advancing gender equality, fostering youth participation and safeguarding children's rights.

We strongly support strengthening of the UN human rights system, upholding the independence and effectiveness of treaty bodies. We reaffirm the essential principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity. The Government carefully considers recommendations from treaty bodies and special procedures and maintains a standing invitation to all UN mandate holders

In 2025, Armenia presented its fourth Universal Periodic Review, a key platform for dialogue, cooperation, and national reflection. To ensure effective implementation, we established a National Mechanism for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF) as a centralized body to oversee compliance with international human rights obligations and integrate a rights-based approach across all policies.

Gender equality remains a cross-cutting priority, integrated into frameworks through gender-responsive budgeting, labor reforms, and targeted programs to close the gender gap, as stipulated in the new 2025-2028 Gender Policy Strategy.

As the host of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in 2026, Armenia aims to amplify the voices of those most affected by biodiversity loss, including women, recognizing their essential role in shaping, leading, and implementing effective environmental policies.

We place particular emphasis on the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Our Third National Action Plan (2025-2027), entitled "Investing in Global Efforts for Peace", strengthens women's participation in decision-making on peace and security, prevents gender-based violence, and promotes post-conflict recovery. Special attention is given to vulnerable groups, particularly forcibly displaced women and girls, ensuring their voices are heard in peacebuilding and recovery activities.

Armenia also recognizes enormous transformative potential of information and communication technologies for advancing gender equality and stands ready to mainstream the issue, building on several successful collaborative initiatives.

Wide-scale reforms in the area of justice, social protection and fight against corruption, among others, are anchored on the human rights based approaches and aimed at equitable development and accountable institutions. With the recently adopted Country Program Documents for UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA and upcoming adoption of the UNSDCF, we are confident Armenia will ensure human rights based implementation of SDGs in close cooperation with the international partners.

Protecting children's rights remains a core priority for Armenia. Last year, we underwent a constructive review by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and its recommendations will guide our efforts to further strengthen human rights obligations and their implementation.

Political pluralism, a vibrant civil society, an open information environment, and an independent judiciary are pillars of a mature democracy. Guided by this understanding, Armenia has made significant strides in advancing fundamental freedoms and ranks among the highest in the region on key global indices, including the World Press Freedom Index and Freedom on the Net.

Mr. Chair,

Armenia remains firmly committed to advancing the genocide prevention agenda and to combating racism, xenophobia, and hate speech, both online and offline. We underscore the importance of strengthening UN prevention tools, enhancing early response capacities, and building a more accountable system to address the root causes of atrocity crimes and ensure justice.

The biennial resolution on the Prevention of Genocide, initiated by Armenia at the Human Rights Council, provides a robust framework for addressing key issues and strengthening synergies across the UN system. In 2015, upon Armenia's initiative, the General Assembly unanimously proclaimed 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. Building on this milestone, in 2025 Armenia tabled a resolution to convene a High-Level Meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the International Day, offering Member States an important opportunity to reinforce multilateral cooperation in genocide prevention.

Mr. Chair,

On August 8, in Washington DC, Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations, laying a solid foundation for a comprehensive and enduring peace in the region. At the same time several pressing humanitarian issues remain unresolved, first and foremost the fate of Armenian PoWs and other detainees. The absence of international access to detainees, including by the ICRC, creates incommunicado detention for 23 individuals already in a situation of extreme vulnerability.

Addressing other serious humanitarian concerns, including issues of missing persons and enforced disappearances, is also of critical importance for Armenia. Close cooperation among all stakeholders, free from politicization, is essential to clarify the plight of the missing and ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Mr. Chair,

The protection of human rights is a fundamental prerequisite for building equitable, just, and inclusive societies, as well as for advancing sustainable peace and security. Armenia is committed to actively and constructively engaging within the Committee to strengthen global commitments to human rights and fundamental freedoms, ensuring that no one is left behind. We reaffirm our strong commitment to multilateralism and to working with all partners to uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.

Thank you.