Înapoi New platform for dialogue on preventing and combating discrimination in the Republic of Moldova

New platform for dialogue on preventing and combating discrimination in the Republic of Moldova

A platform for dialogue and cooperation on preventing and combating discrimination was created among Police and the Equality Council in the Republic of Moldova at the occasion of the workshop “Practical aspects of investigating cases of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova” held  in Chisinau on 13 November 2023.

The platform will aim to strengthen cooperation among all relevant actors working in this field, for the ultimate goal of a better protection of victims of discrimination, especially those from vulnerable groups.

The workshop aimed to address the practical aspects of examining, qualifying and documenting cases of discrimination, hate speech/hate crimes. The participants discussed in particular the internal procedures of law enforcement institutions, the competencies and practices in handling discrimination cases, as well methods of strengthening the cooperation between the General Police Inspectorate and Equality Council, for a better protection of victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes.

It brought together representatives of the General Police Inspectorate and the Equality Council, in particular police officers, including the trainers on discrimination and equality, representatives of Police Directorates and Inspectorates from the Northern, Central and Southern regions of the country, as well as the Equality Council representatives.

Participants expressed their commitment to actively engage in joint awareness actions to combat discrimination, hate speech and bias-motivated offences in the Republic of Moldova, including at the local level.

This event is organised as a synergy of the project "Combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova" part of the "Partnership for Good Governance" Programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe, and the project ”Enhancing diversity and equality in the Republic of Moldova”,  implemented in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2021-2024 and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

CHISINAU, Republic of Moldova 13 NOVEMBER 2023
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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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