Our work in Armenia

Our involvement in Armenia began in the early 2000s. Between 2006-2009, we collaborated with UNDP Armenia to implement a Sida-funded project to strengthen the capacity of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender’s Office to promote and protect human rights. In 2019 we re-engaged in Armenia, aiming to support the country’s democratic transition and since 2020 we have been implementing a Sida-supported human rights programme. In 2024, we expanded our work and established new partnerships under projects funded by the Swedish Institute and others.

Laura Gasparyan, a coordinator with the Human Rights Defenders Office—one of our main partners in the region—shares reflections on our joint efforts and their outcomes.

We currently engage with our Armenian partners to increase the capacity of representatives from the judiciary, state agencies, academia and civil society, to apply international human rights standards in ongoing and future reforms in the country. We work together with a range of local and international stakeholders.

Since August 2023, our cooperation in Armenia has been managed from our office in Yerevan, further deepening our collaboration with stakeholders and improving the implementation of human rights initiatives in Armenia. Our largest and most comprehensive programme is supported by Sida.

Within the justice sector we support the Ministry of Justice in the implementation of the Armenian National Action Plan for Human Rights and collaborate with the Academy of Justice on human rights training for justice sector professionals. In cooperation with the Centre for the Implementation of Legal Education and Rehabilitation Programs we support development of training for prison staff, and other services in the justice sector, to align with international human rights standards – with a core focus on sustainable training provision and long-term assessment of training needs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WTH THE ARMENIAN JUSTICE SECTOR

Our cooperation with the Human Rights Defender’s Office (HRDO) aims to support them in their role as a National Human Rights Institution to promote and protect human rights. In addition to overall capacity activities, the cooperation is focused on developing tools and procedures aligned with international human rights standards for their National Preventive Mechanism Unit, which monitors places of detention.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WTH HRDO

Within our academic and research cooperation we work with Yerevan State University and the American University of Armenia to support human rights programmes and courses. Together with academic partners we are also exploring how Clinical Legal Education initiatives, including moot court activities, can be further developed at Armenian universities. Through research activities, fellowship programmes and the organisation of annual academic research conferences we are also supporting researchers from academia and civil society to enhance collaboration, advance critical reflection and stimulate debate on human rights topics.

HOW WE WORK WITH ACADEMIA  AND RESEARCH

In 2023 we engaged with UNDP Armenia to contribute to their project for Armenian members of parliaments by organizing round tables and opportunities to discuss the role of parliamentarians in promoting and protecting human rights. Learn more about our cooperation with UNDP Parliament initiative

Together with partners in Armenia and Georgia, we are implementing a one-year project on Effective Public Participation in Environmental decision-making in the EU and Eastern Partnership, funded by the Swedish Institute. Learn more about this environmental project.

Since 2020, we also have been engaging with Armenian participants through the Swedish Institute Academy for Young Professionals (SAYP), developed in collaboration with Lund University. In this programme, we gather young policymakers, public servants, and civil society actors, to develop their skills in governing, giving them the opportunity to network and exchange knowledge.

Learn more about our SAYP training

 

The conference on "Human Rights Research in Armenia" was held at Yerevan State University on December 1, 2023 and was attended by H.E. Mr. Patrik Svensson, Ambassador of Sweden to Armenia.

Call for Proposals: 3rd International Conference on Human Rights Research in Armenia

 

Armenia Programme Staff

Laura Milne

Laura Milne

Country Director, Yerevan Office

E-mail: laura.milne@rwi.lu.se
Laura Milne is a senior human rights and rule of law professional with over 15 years of international experience advancing access to justice, labour rights, and gender equality. She currently serves as Country Director for the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Armenia.

Before joining RWI, Laura was Country Director for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) in Jordan, where she led both the country and regional offices. In that role, she partnered with government and civil society to strengthen labour protections, combat trafficking in persons, and address sexual and gender-based violence.

Previously, Laura spent over four years in Myanmar, first as Senior Legal Advisor to a USAID-funded civil society and media strengthening programme, and later with the International Development Law Organization, where she advised on the design and implementation of rule of law initiatives. She has also lived and worked in Vietnam and India, managing projects on anti-corruption, clinical legal education, and counter-trafficking. In addition, she has contributed to programmes in Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Bahrain.

Laura qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2009 and began her career with Liberty, the UK’s leading civil liberties organisation. She also serves on the board of Justice Base, a UK-registered organisation supporting community-led democracy and governance in Southeast Asia.

She holds a BA from King’s College, London and postgraduate qualifications in law from BPP University, London.

Arman Gasparian

Arman Gasparian

Deputy Country Director, Yerevan Office

E-mail: arman.gasparyan@rwi.lu.se

Arman Gasparian joined the RWI Armenia Office in August 2023. He has a solid track record in the international development field, most notably with the UN and the Council of Europe, and has experience with project and team management, event organisation, fundraising and advocacy, and data collection and analysis. Alongside his work at RWI, Arman is also pursuing a PhD focusing on Public Governance from KU Leuven. Arman has authored close to ten academic articles, the most recent being “From paperwork to pixels: Workload and digital governance in Armenian local authorities” published by Frontiers in Political Science.

Nona Galstyan

Nona Galstyan

Senior Programme Associate, Yerevan Office

E-mail: nona.galstyan@rwi.lu.se

Nona Galstyan joins RWI as Senior Programme Associate at the RWI Armenia Office.

Nona has an experience in Programme Management with a demonstrated history of work with international NGOs, coordinating Human Resources section, managing and assisting different programmes. Nona is skilled in human recourses, public administration, governmental networking, data collection and analysing, youth participation, community development and more. Her latest work experience with UNICEF Armenia office, expanded her experience in Climate Change and resilience actions.

Nona can be reached at: nona.galstyan@rwi.lu.se

Nvard Minasyan

Nvard Minasyan

Programme Officer, Yerevan Office

E-mail: nvard.minasyan@rwi.lu.se

Nvard Minasyan joined the RWI Armenia office as Programme Officer in December 2024. Nvard holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratization from Yerevan State University and a second Master’s degree from the Management Department of the London School of Economics, with a focus on Responsible Management, Corporate Social Responsibility and International Labour Standards.

Nvard has extensive experience in fundraising, project management, public-private partnerships, and advocacy. Her specialization is in human rights and gender equality, with a primary focus on anti-discrimination and promoting equal opportunities. She also has significant experience in consulting, research, and training facilitation in these areas. Furthermore, Nvard has served as a trainer and mentor for local NGOs and social enterprises, helping them build institutional capacity in research, advocacy, and financial sustainability.

Meline Avagyan

Meline Avagyan

Programme Officer, Yerevan Office

E-mail: meline.avagyan@rwi.lu.se
Meline Avagyan joined the RWI Armenia office as Junior Programme Officer starting on August 1, 2023. Previously, she has been working at international organizations as well as local NGOs in Armenia (UNDP, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, Embassy of Armenia to Germany, University of Tartu). She was mainly involved in projects related to conflict resolution/peacebuilding, migration, and climate change. She also has an extensive educational background, holding a master’s degrees from Yerevan State University (Human Rights and Democratisation) and the University of Tartu (Political Science). Currently, she is about to finish her master’s degree from the American University of Armenia (Political Science and International Affairs).
Passionate about research and the development of her skills, Meline’s curiosity drives her to constantly learn and delve into new areas of social sciences.
Meline Avagyan would be happy to connect via Linkedin and Academia

 

Contact the Yerevan Office

Address

106/1 Nalbandyan Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Email: office.yerevan@rwi.lu.se

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