Înapoi Peer-to-peer exchange on anti-discrimination practices between institutions from Malta and the Republic of Moldova

Peer-to-peer exchange on anti-discrimination practices between institutions from Malta and the Republic of Moldova

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”.

Valletta, Malta 16-17 April 2024
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

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