Working conditions for human rights defenders were improved through a EU-funded project
The legal resource center of moldova together with its partners presented the results of the project “Shield for human rights defenders – supporting human rights defenders in the Republic of Moldova”. Human rights defenders in the Republic of Moldova have strengthened their resilience thanks to a project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Legal Resource Center of Moldova (LRMC) in partnership with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the EcoContact Association. The results of the project were presented during the debriefing event. It took place at the end of May, and was attended by representatives of the European Union and development partners, as well as some of the direct beneficiaries of the project.
A total of 464 human rights defenders and 35 institutions were involved in activities carried out under the project. They received training on aspects of personal and digital security, took part in sessions for environmental human rights defenders, and received legal assistance designed for those who were brought to court for defending and promoting human rights in the Republic of Moldova.
At the same time, an awareness-raising campaign was carried out on the concept of a human rights defender. 16 visual materials were developed for it, intended for both the general public and human rights activists. In addition, within the framework of the project, three guides were compiled on emergency situations in which human rights defenders may find themselves, and a guide to action for defenders of environmental human rights.
“The work and dedication of human rights defenders benefits the communities in which they work and serves as a strong pillar of the protection and respect for human rights that are integral to democratic and prosperous societies. That is why this project was designed, in particular, to strengthen the ability of human rights defenders to act in the name of public interest, to encourage and inspire those who have certain doubts, to let them know that they are not alone when defending and promoting human rights,” said the program officer Director of LRCM Daniel Goinic.
The project monitored and collected documentary evidence of attacks on civil society organizations (CSOs) and human rights defenders. In this sense, three situation studies have been published covering the years 2021-2023. The documents are available on the LRCM website, where they also created a page dedicated to human rights defenders. In addition, the project developed and published 8 reports on related topics, as well as 12 legal documents (legal opinions, public declarations, international communications) designed to improve the normative framework that governs the activities of human rights defenders and civil society organizations.
As part of the final event, the findings of an independent evaluation report on the project were presented. It notes that, taking into account the budgetary constraints of the project, the results achieved during its course are promising, and the work begun should be continued in order to maintain the positive trend towards improving the conditions for the work of human rights defenders.