ILO, Armenia Examine Disability Funding in Workshop on Inclusive Care Systems

In a significant step toward advancing the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Armenia, the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA), hosted a high-level tripartite workshop in Yerevan on 25 June 2025. The event presented preliminary findings from a detailed expenditure review on public resource allocations targeting disability-focused programs in Armenia.

The workshop is part of the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) project titled “Mapping and strengthening community-based care resources for persons with disabilities and long-term support needs.” The initiative is jointly implemented by the ILO and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the goal of improving community-based care models and ensuring that disability support systems are well-funded, inclusive, and sustainable.

A Collaborative, Evidence-Based Approach

The session drew 36 participants from a diverse spectrum of stakeholders, including:

• Representatives from employers’ and workers’ organizations

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) supporting PwDs

• Officials from the Ministry of Health

• Delegates from international organizations engaged in disability inclusion and care systems development

Participants convened to assess early findings of a comprehensive review of MoLSA’s expenditure programs, which evaluated both the scope and effectiveness of government-funded services targeting PwDs. The aim was to gauge how well current public spending supports inclusive care systems, identify gaps, and lay the groundwork for stronger financial planning and service delivery.

Key Findings and Dialogue

The analysis presented during the workshop outlined the current landscape of disability-related services, highlighting:

• Existing achievements in policy development and service access

• Challenges in equitable delivery and resource allocation

• Barriers to scaling up community-based support models

• Gaps in training, employment support, and accessibility infrastructure

Participants engaged in a constructive, solutions-oriented dialogue, offering feedback on the findings and sharing experiences from their respective fields. The workshop served as a platform for open exchange between government authorities, civil society actors, care workers, and international experts.

Financing the Care Economy and Inclusive Development

A central theme that emerged was the critical importance of strategic public financing. Participants emphasized that sustained investment is essential to:

• Strengthen community-based care structures

• Improve access to services for persons with disabilities

• Ensure inclusivity and dignity in care delivery

• Promote social and economic participation of PwDs

The discussions also spotlighted the care economy as a key sector in Armenia’s development strategy. It was widely agreed that decent working conditions for care workers—including fair wages, training, occupational safety, and social protections—are fundamental to ensuring high-quality service provision and the sustainability of disability care systems.

“Investing in the care economy is not only a matter of rights—it is a cornerstone of social inclusion and economic resilience,” one participant stated. “We need to fund not only the infrastructure but also the human resources behind these services.”

Forward-Looking Recommendations

The workshop concluded with a series of recommendations and next steps, including:

• Strengthening inter-agency coordination to align disability-related spending with national priorities

• Enhancing budget transparency and monitoring tools for disability-targeted programs

• Expanding data collection on service coverage, quality, and user satisfaction

• Promoting training and professional development for care workers

• Supporting decentralized, community-based care models that empower local actors and respond to specific needs

The ILO and WHO will incorporate stakeholder feedback into a final report to be submitted later this year. The findings will help inform policy reforms, financing strategies, and service delivery innovations that align with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Armenia’s national disability agenda.

A Commitment to Inclusive Social Protection

The event reinforced the commitment of Armenia and its partners to inclusive social protection systems, where persons with disabilities are not just recipients of care but active participants in shaping their support networks.

By combining research, dialogue, and capacity-building, the workshop set a new precedent for how public expenditure reviews can inform evidence-based policymaking and drive transformative change for one of the country’s most vulnerable populations.

As the project moves into its next phase, continued collaboration between government agencies, development partners, and civil society will be vital to building a care system that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainably financed.