Advancing more inclusive, human rights-based policing was at the focus of the two-day regional exchange that brought together representatives of law enforcement institutions and civil society organisations from Albania, North Macedonia, and the Republic of Moldova. The event sought practical and coordinated solutions to    shared challenges in preventing and combating hatred, discrimination, and racism, both in society and within institutions.

Participants explored how a victim-centred approach can strengthen the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of hate crimes, and underscored the need for better data collection and continuous police training to ensure cases are properly identified and addressed. Discussions also stressed the need for stronger co-operation and trust-building between police and minority communities, including joint awareness-raising initiatives that promote equality, tolerance, and the protection of national, ethnic, and religious communities.

To connect policy with realities on the ground, participants visited the town of Calarasi, in the Republic of Moldova, meeting the local Police Inspectorate and civil society organisations working on minority rights. Real-life examples showed how dialogue, transparency, and trust-based collaboration at local level can reinforce protection and improve citizens’ confidence in police services.

The peer exchange builds on previous regional workshops that focused on strengthening community policing and sharing good practices from the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans regions, further consolidating a network dedicated to inclusive policing. These events reaffirm the European Union and Council of Europe’s joint commitment to supporting law enforcement institutions and civil society across in protecting the human rights of all citizens.

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The regional event was organised within the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” and the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans”, which are part the joint European Union and Council of Europe programmes “Partnership for Good Governance” and “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.