Social protection is an important state institution, which deals with the population's social protection and realization of people's social rights.
Contents
Introduction
State social protection system of the Republic of Armenia is financed by the state budget. The services provided within this institution are free for citizens. Ministry Labour and Social Affairs coordinates the services provision process.
Social protection system during the First Republic of Armenia
The Ministry of Public Assistance was established in November 1918, at the time when the second Government of the First Republic of Armenia was reorganizing. On April 8, 1919 it was renamed “The Ministry of Labor and Public Assistance”. Until July 5, 1919 the Ministry of Food used to organize food purchasing and distributing works. But, on July 5, 1919 the Ministry of Food being dissolved, its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Labor and Public Assistance. On January 8, 1920 the Ministry was renamed “The Ministry of Reconstruction and Public Assistance”. It comprised the Orphanage, Migration, Labor Organization, Medical and Sanitary, Labor Protection, Architecture and Construction Departments. 1918–1920 were particularly hard times; the First World War, the Genocide of 1915 and lasting wars with the Turks had left behind hundreds of thousands of refugees. Finally, the Armenian people gained the independence they had been dreaming of for ages. The First Republic of Armenia was established, ready to move on and withstand all difficulties. Despite all these hardships, the Ministry of Reconstruction and Public Assistance had representatives both in Georgia and Azerbaijan, making allocations to fulfill the basic needs of the Armenians, living in Georgia and Azerbaijan. One Minister often headed up more than one Ministry at the time since there were problems within the Republic, as well as urgent issues related to borders’ defense, weapon acquisition and foreign relations. In general, the Ministers of those times were literate and highly educated national leaders.
Social protection system during the Second Republic of Armenia
When Armenia became part of the Soviet Union, Bolshevik leaders came to replace those Ministers. They were conceptualized and highly educated national leaders, who afterwards got high-ranking positions but were fusilladed in 1937. On December 8, 1920 the Ministry was organized as the Commissariat of Reconstruction and Care. Later, on December 21 it was renamed “People’s Commissariat for Social Security”. On March 12, 1925 it was again renamed and this time bore the name of “People’s Commissariat of Labor and Social Security”. In 1946, the Ministry for Social Security of the ASSR (Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic) was once again reorganized. The Ministry consisted of the Pensions and Benefits Department, Job Placement and Household Management, Supervising, Controlling, Medical-Working Expertise, Financial, Planning, Capital Construction and Administrative Departments, Central Accountancy and Individual Pensioners’ Inspectorate. The Ministry headed the Departments responsible for Pensions and Benefits Calculation and Payout, as well as Republic Centers of Information and Computing, Boarding Houses for the disabled, the elderly and children, the Experimental-Industrial Enterprise of Prosthetics and Orthopedics, and the Clinic of Prosthetics and Medical-Working Expertise, the Committees of Republic, Regional and District Medical-Working Expertise, the Deaf and Dump Associations, the Social Security Departments of the Regional and City Soviets of the People’s Deputies.
Armenia's social protection system after 1990
In 1990, in the post-Soviet period, the RA Ministry for Social Security was reorganized into the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. After the parliamentary elections of 1995, according to the Presidential Decree, the Government structure underwent changes; the Ministry was reorganized into the Ministry of Social Security, Employment, Migration and Refugee Affairs. In 1996, according to the Presidential Decree, the Government underwent new structural changes. On November 8, 1996 the Ministry was reorganized into the Ministry of Social Security. On February 28, 2000 according to the RA President’s Decree, the Ministry was merged into the Ministry of Health and Social Security. On May 20, 2000 according to the RA President’s Decree, the Ministry was separated as the RA Ministry of Social Security. On December 25, 2003 pursuant to the RA President’s Decree, it was renamed the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The first years of these transitional period were incredibly hard ones for the Armenian people. The consequences of the earthquake of 1988 ( it had destroyed the third of the country’s territory and killed about 25 thousands of people) were still vivid, let alone the blockade, the immigration of the displaced persons (DP), the energy crisis, unemployment and so on.
In 1992, it was officially announced that the poverty rate in the Republic reached 94%. It meant that people were desperate, and the country which had just gained independence could not overcome the socio-economic difficulties all alone. The RA Government was implementing economic reforms at the time, the Legislative Field was in the formation process. Humanitarian aid was of primary importance. The RA President assigned the RA Government to set up a system that would organize the works on addressed distributions of the humanitarian aid. A working group of relevant specialists was formed, a clear set of regulations elaborated, and the “Paros” system realized. In order to make this system operate, there was formed the Social Services’ Institute within the Ministry of Social Security. It had its own territorial offices contributing to the “Paros” system implementation. The latter came to distinctly specify the poverty rate among needy families as well as regulate the operative and unbiased distribution of the provided humanitarian aid.
Social Services were funded from the State budget. Beneficiary services were provided free of charge. The RA Ministry of Labor and Social Security was in charge of the coordination of those social services, as well as conducted the unified policy, carried out the methodological and organizational assistance.