Judges and legal practitioners in Armenia learn how to apply international labour law within domestic legal systems

On September 15, the UN House Armenia hosted a launching ceremony of the "International Labour Law" and "Domestic Labour Law" curriculum, developed for judges and legal practitioners by the Academy of Justice of the Republic of Armenia and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

"The courses are about how to put a set of rules into practice for the benefit of employers and employees. Having rights is necessary to engage in them through the legal system and handle these disputes with the instruments you will have at your disposal," noted Nanna Skau, United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i. in Armenia.

"The ILO believes that implementing these free courses, which will be available in face-to-face and self-learning formats, will allow judges and legal practitioners to refresh and advance their knowledge of labour law while promoting international standards and ILO Conventions in Armenia. We hope that the project's actions to strengthen Armenia's existing judicial system will contribute to better governance, enforcement, and promotion of labour laws and procedures that are consistent with the international labour standards," said Mikhail Pouchkin, Deputy Director, ILO Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Stephen Marler, International Relations Officer at the US Department of Labour (USDOL), noted that The United States Department of Labour has always recognized the critical importance of a robust and well-informed legal system.

"This course will serve as a beacon of knowledge, illuminating the path to better understanding the complexities of labour and employment law. It will empower our judges and legal practitioners with the tools and insights needed to render decisions that are both legally sound and deeply fair", he said.

According to Nver Sargsyan, coordinator of "Promoting Implementation of Labour Rights in Armenia Together" ILO Project, the course focuses on applying the international labour law within domestic legal systems, focusing on resolving labour disputes. The course aims to increase referrals to the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions and International Labour Standards in court proceedings.

Sergey Arakelyan, Rector of the Academy of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, provided the course details. The learning materials will be integrated into the Academy's curriculum in offline and self-paced online learning formats so that judges and legal practitioners can access and use the course materials for free.

In addition, the event featured a photo exhibition showcasing photographs by Vanya Berezkin, dedicated to the International Equal Pay Day observed on September 18.

 ILO Project "Promoting Implementation of Labour Rights in Armenia Together" is funded by the US Department of Labour (USDOL). The Project's primary goal is to strengthen labour legislation compliance with internationally accepted standards and increase the availability of judicial and extrajudicial remedies in Armenia.