On May 14, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, President of the European Foundation for Children Lost and Exploited in Europe Maud de Boer-Buquicchio.

Minister Hranush Hakobyan presented the current situation in Armenia in regard to the protection of children and informed that in 1996, the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia passed the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Protection of the Rights of the Child”, which falls in line with the UN Conventions on the protection of children. The minister also emphasized that there are as few cases of the sale of children and child prostitution as possible in Armenia where the people have a special attitude towards family and children and have traditions.

Mrs. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio asked if there were refugee children in Armenia or not. In response, the minister said 14-15,000 Syrian-Armenians have settled in Armenia as a result of the Syrian war, of which nearly 2,000 are children and teens of different ages. The Government of the Republic of Armenia and benevolent foundations have helped provide Syrian-Armenians, as well as children with free education, healthcare, documentation and reception.

The minister urged Maud de Boer-Buquicchio to use her mandate and raise at the UN the issue on the protection of Christian children in Syria since the people of Syria are currently in a catastrophic situation.

Mrs. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio promised to do everything possible and informed that there had already been discussions on the issue.