The project was a continuation of activities carried out since 2021 together with the partner organisation Helsinki Association for Human Rights (HAHR), based in Yerevan, with goal was to strengthen judicial reform in the Republic of Armenia, while increasing civil society engagement, particularly in the context of judicial transparency and accountability. 

Activities were primarily focused on the sensitive Syunik region, which borders Nagorno-Karabakh, as part of the EU-led Resilient Syunik Team Europe Initiative which contributes to sustainable socioeconomic and institutional development of the area. 

The main objectives of this edition of the project were:
– Strengthen court monitoring skills and human rights knowledge among youth and increase public engagement in the Sjunik region,
– To continue the monitoring of court trials by young volunteers in four regions of Armenia (Lorri, Shirek, Sjunik and Yerevan),
– Digitisation of the court monitoring process, as well as increasing the use of digital data in the analytical and reporting activities of the HAHR partner organisation with the support of the Court Watch Poland Foundation (FCWP).

Workshop organised by the Court Watch Polska Foundation (FCWP) for representatives of the Armenian partner organisation Helsinki Association for Human Rights (HAHR) in Warsaw, September 2024. Photo: Anna Radecka, Solidarity Fund PL

The project was the conclusion of a four-year co-operation between Solidarity Fund PL and HAHR, which aimed to equip the partner organisation with the necessary tools to independently carry out court monitoring activities in Armenia.

The conclusions of the court case monitoring process included in the final project report were presented in November 2024 at a meeting with the participation of institutions involved in the implementation of judicial reform in the Republic of Armenia.

Presentation of the final project report in Yerevan, November 2024. Photo: Anna Radecka, Solidarity Fund PL

Presentation of the final project report in Yerevan, November 2024. Photo: Anna Radecka, Solidarity Fund PL

The project contributed to the achievement of the 16th Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

The Resilient Syunik Team Europe initiative is the joint undertaking of the European Union, the European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EU Member states – Austria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland also joining as an external partner. The initiative aims to contribute to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the Syunik region’.

Project co-financed within the framework of the Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.