On 21 March 2018 a high level conference marked the finalisation of the Project “Support to Criminal Justice Reforms in the Republic of Moldova” funded by the Government of Denmark. Implemented during 2015-2018, the Project was designed to contribute to support Republic of Moldova to fulfil its outstanding statutory and accession commitments towards Council of Europe in the field of criminal justice.
The event took place at Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel in Chisinau and brought together representatives from the Project beneficiaries, governmental institutions, international and national experts and representatives of the Council of Europe, so that they could exchange experiences, lessons learned, discuss the main results achieved and future opportunities for the Republic of Moldova in the context of further justice reforms, human rights and rule of law.
The Project originated from the Council of Europe Action Plans for the Republic of Moldova 2013-2016 and 2017-2020 and the Danish Programme “Human Rights and Democracy Programme for the Republic of Moldova 2015-2018.”
The Project has provided a mixture of legislative expertise and extensive support towards legislative and institutional reforms, as well as operational and professional enhancement of the partner institutions. Given the background, one of the biggest achievements was the adoption of the new law on Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in February 2016. Relevant legislative framework and constitutional amendments were put in place in line with most of the Council of Europe /Venice Commission recommendations. While the institutional reform was launched in line with the new legislation, the Superior Council of Prosecutors became operational in a new set-up as an independent prosecutorial self-governing body. This represented a significant step forward taken towards ensuring the independence of the prosecution service.
The Conference was opened by Ms Eva Gutjahr, Acting Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, Ms Tatiana Termacic, Head of the Coordination and International Co-Operation Division, Council of Europe, Ms Theresia Kirkemann Boesen, Representative of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of Moldovan authorities such as Mr Anatolie Munteanu, Secretary General of State of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Eduard Harunjen, Prosecutor General and Mr Mihail Cotorobai, Peoples’ Advocate.
In her welcoming speech, Ms Tatiana Termacic underlined that “The Republic of Moldova has a new law on Public Prosecution Service in compliance with the CoE recommendations. Many important problems have been tackled and results were achieved with the support of the Project in the reforms of the Public Prosecution Service and the Ombudsperson’s institution. At the same time it is crucial for Republic of Moldova to have a long-term strategy that would sustain the reforms initiated, assuring the sustainability of the results obtained and further development in accordance with the CoE and international requirements.”
Mr Eduard Harunjen, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Moldova, highlighted the importance of the Project’s assistance in the implementation of the PPS reforms: “The Project has offered necessary support and experience of other Council of Europe member states when we were seeking to identify proper and sustainable solutions. According to the new law of the Public Prosecution Service, the Superior Council of Prosecutors became an independent body to guarantee the independence and proper functioning of the PPS. At the same time, professional capacities of individual prosecutors were consolidated through various activities, such as trainings, workshops, exchange of experience, and much more.”
The participants highly acknowledged the contribution of the Project towards consolidating professional, institutional and technical capacities of several key Moldovan partners. For instance, one of the beneficiaries, People’s Advocate Office, has consolidated its institutional and professional capacities, making real steps towards aligning to international standards in the area. “The protection of human rights, particularly against torture and ill-treatment, has been enhanced including through the launch of the National Prevention Mechanism in a new format,” declared Mihai Cotorobai, People’s Advocate of the Republic of Moldova.
Three years of Project implementation and today the criminal justice in the Republic of Moldova is reformed – a change that was welcome by Mr Anatolie Munteanu, General State Secretary, Ministry of Justice: “Today we have all the tools, mechanisms and legal frameworks in place. We can say the reforms have been implemented, even though one cannot expect to see immediate results of it. Personally, I consider that a key element in achieving a fully-fledged reform is the trust of citizens in a fair, transparent and impartial justice that we have to rebuild. I do consider this Project a success since so many important results have been achieved. I also put my hope in new productive collaborations with the CoE and other donors to continue the work deployed.”
The Closing Conference represented an opportunity for the Project beneficiaries and the Council of Europe to reflect on the achievements of the Project and its impact in the field of criminal justice reforms in Republic of Moldova.
For more information about the Project and the event please visit:
► Presentation: Reform of the Ombudsperson's Institute and NPM vis-à-vis Paris Principles and relevant international standards, Erik Svanidze
► Presentation: Consolidating capacities of Moldovan criminal justice actors under the CJR Moldova Project: ensuring sustainability, Eric Svanidze
