The Council of Europe and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the US Department of State launched today Phase 2 of the cooperation project entitled “Action against Corruption in the Republic of Moldova”.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Mustafa FERATI, Head of the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division, welcomed the stakeholders and beneficiary institutions, the representatives of the donor community and civil society, as well as the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the US Department of State for their support provided to the project. He expressed his gratefulness for this cooperation and the complementarity of our efforts: I believe that the support that will be provided by the project under this new phase, will represent an opportunity for the beneficiary institutions to further build and enhance their anti-corruption framework with reference to leading international practices and standards.

The Second Phase of the Project is tailored to deliver legislative, policy and institutional impact by addressing pending recommendations from the 4^th Evaluation Round of the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), with a particular focus on enhancing the systems of disciplinary liability, selection and performance evaluation of judges. It also aims at providing related support ahead of the GRECO 5^th round of evaluation, with a focus on increasing capacities for corruption prevention in top executive functions and law enforcement agencies.  

In this respect, the Project will carry out a comprehensive set of interventions, including reviews, capacity building and training, to facilitate the understanding, adoption and application of procedures, practices and tools that strengthen the prevention of corruption. The intervention areas represent a follow-up of the assistance provided to the Moldovan authorities by the Council of Europe from June 2020 to November 2021 through the “Action against Corruption in the Republic of Moldova”, funded by Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, United States Department of State.

Ms. Olga RABEI-SECRIERU, Legal Program Specialist from INL, Department of State, stressed the importance of the second phase of the project and the pressing need for coordinated efforts in preventing and combatting corruption: I am confident that this project will make a positive impact in the fight against corruption in Moldova. The Council of Europe remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Keynote speakers in the opening session of the Launching Conference were: Mr. Mustafa FERATI, Head of the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division, Ms. Olga RABEI-SECRIERU, Legal Program Specialist from INL, Department of State, and Mr. William MASSOLIN, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau.

The Project will be implemented in the Republic of Moldova by the Council of Europe’s Economic Crime and Cooperation Division, as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Moldova.