A new EU-funded project on ensuring the integrity, efficiency and independence of the Moldovan justice system was launched in Chișinău
The Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), in partnership with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), launched on July 12, 2023, during a public event, the project “Ensuring the integrity, efficiency and independence of the justice system in Moldova – #Justice4Moldova”, which is funded by the European Union and co-funded by Soros Foundation Moldova.
In the opening of the event, H.E. Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova said: „An effective, independent and transparent Judiciary is one of the most important steps that the Republic of Moldova has to take to advance its European path. The European Union supports Moldova’s Justice Reform through concrete actions, technical assistance, expertise and strategic advice. With this project, we want to highlight and assist the important role the Moldovan Civil Society plays in this Reform Process, ranging from policy advice to awareness campaigns, independent monitoring of concrete steps implementing justice and anti-corruption action plans – with the overall goal to increase public trust in the Judiciary.”
In her turn, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, Minister of Justice, said: “The goal of the project, to increase the role of civil society organizations and mass media in ensuring the integrity, efficiency, and independence of the justice system in the Republic of Moldova, is commendable. The roadmap of the current government regarding the strategy for ensuring security and independence in the justice sector for the years 2023-2025 includes fairly complex reforms within the justice system, including the independence and integrity of justice actors. In the context of the Republic of Moldova being granted candidate status for accession to the European Union, the role of civil society organizations and mass media becomes even more important, not only for our country but also for the prospects of Moldova’s accession to the European Union.”
“The justice reform process must be very well thought out and coordinated, because its legitimacy and sustainability depend on it. The authorities responsible for decision-making processes must continue to ensure extensive coordination with civil society, justice sector representatives, development partners and the independent media so that the changes that are taking place can be implemented effectively and responsibly”, mentioned Petru Culeac, Executive Director, Soros Foundation Moldova.
Finally, Alan Davis, IWPR Director Asia and Eurasia, declared: “Institute for War and Peace Reporting is a proud parter of IPRE in implementing the project “Ensuring the integrity, efficiency and independence of the justice system in Moldova”. Our belief is that the more members of the society are engaged and informed about the ways of the government, the more a society can develop. Corruption and integrity questions are not a problem just for Moldova, they are an ongoing issue around the world. The public has shown intolerance for corruption in Moldova. Trust in the rule of law is the benchmark for all democracies, and the local civil society organisations and mass-media are essential for ensuring integrity and accountability.”
In the next panel of the event, Iulian Groza, IPRE Executive Director, made a brief presentation of the #Justice4Moldova project, informing about the planned activities and expected results aimed at strengthening the capacities of the media and representatives of the expert community, technical assistance for justice and anticorruption institutions, awareness raising and promotion in the field of justice and assessing the integrity of actors in the justice system were presented in detail. It was also described how the project will contribute to enhancing the role of civil society and media in implementing justice sector policies in a transparent and accountable manner and, in terms of strengthening the rule of law in Moldova, in full respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The final session moderated by Mariana Rață, journalist at TV8, was an opportunity for key stakeholders at national and European level to carry out a reality check on the state of play of priority reform actions in the justice sector, in line with the key measures proposed by the European Commission in its June 2022 opinion on Moldova’s application for EU membership. Speakers referred to an assessment of the realisations achieved so far, the challenges it faces and future priorities for the justice sector.
The event was attended by representatives of public authorities, representatives of development partners, actors in the justice sector, namely judges, prosecutors, lawyers, as well as experts from civil society organizations and mass-media.
More details on project activities, planning and resources can be found on the project sub-page on the ipre.md website, which will be launched this autumn.
For more details, you can watch the video recording of the event on privesc.eu here.
The event was organized within the project “Ensuring the integrity, efficiency and independence of the justice system in Moldova – #Justice4Moldova, funded by the European Union and co-financed by Soros Foundation Moldova.
This material was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the IPRE. The content of the material belongs to the authors and does not necessarily reflect the view of the European Union.
