Representatives of the national Equality Council and of the Advocate Office of the Republic of Moldova participated in a peer-to-peer exchange with the relevant Maltese counterparts on 16 and 17 April 2024, with the aim to learn from their experience in countering hatred and protecting the rights of vulnerable persons.
The Moldovan delegation met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta, the Hon. Anglu Farrugia, the Parliamentary Ombudsperson of Malta, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, and with Rhoda Garland, Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability. The delegation also had an exchange with Renee Laiviera, Commissioner & Acting Executive Director of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality of Malta.
All meetings highlighted the importance of strengthening the co-operation between the Equality bodies and Ombudsperson institutions to prevent and combat discrimination and increase equality in the society. In addition, participants underscored the mutual understanding on challenges faced by anti-discrimination actors from different countries, and identified a range of opportunities for future co-operation, aimed at enhancing the institutional capacities in the Republic of Moldova to respond more effectively to discrimination issues.
The Council of Europe will continue its support to the institutions of the Republic of Moldova to further develop their capacities and increase awareness on combating discrimination.
The study visit was organised as part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the project “Combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova”.
