As a follow up to the roundtable on 25 November 2025, dedicated to the latest findings and recommendations of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) for the Republic of Moldova, key national partners met with the Council of Europe and European Union representatives and national experts to advance discussions on Roma and on LGBTI rights.
During the first day round-table, participants stressed that there are still high rates of discrimination against Roma persons in the country, and that Roma voices fighting for a change continue to remain unheard. The second day of the event focused on advancing LGBTI rights in the Republic of Moldova, highlighting the importance of education, awareness‑raising, and constructive cooperation between civil society and institutions to reduce prejudice and promote equal treatment.
Day two was devoted to presentation of several legal and policy analyses in the field of protection of rights of LGBTI persons, offering practical solutions for strengthening the national framework and protection of fundamental rights. Experts emphasised the need to develop clear procedures for legal gender recognition, same‑sex civil partnerships and guidance on gender‑affirming medical services, in line with European standards, including ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 17.
In addition, the work on the study on situation of LGBTIQI+ persons in police and penitentiaries has been presented. This study is being prepared in cooperation with People’s Advocate Office and Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in the Republic of Moldova. The findings and recommendations of this research, that will be finalised in March 2026, aim to improve the protection mechanism of the envisaged target group, which has a particular vulnerability in terms of hatred and cruel treatment in places of detention.
The exchange attended by the General Police Inspectorate, Equality Council, Agency for Interethnic Relations, People’s Advocate Office, relevant ministries and CSO activists, enabled a deeper understanding of the emerging problems of the community and on the structural improvements needed for a more efficient protection for those affected by hatred and discrimination.
The representative of the Government Agent welcomed the constructive dialogue and highlighted the importance of implementing ECRI’s recommendations proactively, as part of Moldova’s broader efforts to align with European human rights standards and avoid future litigation before the European Court of Human Rights.
Being guided by ECRI representatives, participants in these two events analysed together solutions to improve communication between relevant actors and to identify collaboration opportunities and coordinated action for further improvements in the field. These events also reaffirmed the European Union and Council of Europe support and commitment to aligning the national practice to relevant standards towards inclusion, to promote tolerance, equality, and respect for all citizens, as part of the EU accession process of the country.
This event is part of the European Union and the 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 on “Combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova”, organised in synergy with the Council of Europe project “Enhancing diversity and equality in the Republic of Moldova - phase II.”
