UNICEF and Armenia convened conference today to discuss the integrated social services model as a means to reduce poverty and ensure that the most vulnerable families have full access to social support and protection services.

“This conference represents a major milestone in the progress of a strategic reform which we all consider determinant for the improvement of lives of the most vulnerable families and children in Armenia,” UNICEF Representative in Armenia, Henriette Ahrens said.

“Our objective is to install a system where individuals can come to one place and receive all possible information and services they need. We need a system where social protection offices and social workers will have comprehensive information about the needs of each vulnerable family,” Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan noted while addressing the conference.

PM Sargsyan said that the Government of Armenia has shifted its policy from providing income to vulnerable families to one of strengthening the resilience of vulnerable families by developing their human capacity. Social inequity stems from two main reasons that are unemployment and inaccessibility of education.

“Budgetary resources will be channelled to provide socially and economically vulnerable families with employment and quality education,” he said.