Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe organised the Second Coordination Meeting in Chisinau between representatives of the People’s Advocate Office (PAO), of the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) and mayors. The purpose of the event was to consolidate cooperation between the two institutions in the field of promotion and protection of human rights at the local level.

During this meeting, the participants jointly identified the main priorities for collaboration:

• development of local public policies from human rights perspective,
• awareness raising and capacity building of local authorities in the field of human rights,
• the right to safe environment and protection of the rights of children and other vulnerable groups.

Executive Director of CALM, Viorel Furdui, underlined that collaboration with the People's Advocate Office should not be sporadic, but should become permanent and even institutionalised. He also emphasised the need to raise capacities of local authorities in dealing with human rights issues in their localities.

Deputy People’s Advocate, Oxana Gumennaia, reiterated the importance of developing close collaboration between the People's Advocate Office and local authorities for the effective data collection on the observance of human rights at the local level. Moreover, she emphasised that the constant exchange of data and of best practices contributes to the development of higher quality public policies that are better adapted to the realities of communities, thus strengthening the protection and promotion of citizens' fundamental rights.

The participants discussed and worked in small groups on current challenges and needs, outlined an initial action plan, defined priorities, institutional responsibilities and engagement.

The identified strategic priorities will help the institutions to engage in concreate actions aiming to support the integration of human right-based approached into local decision-making process.

In line with its mandate to promote dialogue and partnerships across different levels of government, the Congress facilitates cooperation between the two institutions to strengthen local democracy and human rights. Authorities are on the frontline in protecting human rights and they need to be equipped with the right tools to ensure these standards are effectively upheld at the local level.

The second coordination meeting, which followed the first meeting from 17 April 2025, was organised within the framework of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe project "Promoting multi-level dialogue, open government, and human rights at the local level in the Republic of Moldova (2025–2028)",  which reflects the commitments made in the Reykjavík Declaration, reaffirming the essential role of local authorities in promoting and protecting fundamental rights.