To ensure that human rights do not just remain on paper in the form of declarations, there are human rights defenders (HRDs), civil society (CSOs) and the media, who monitor the way everyone’s rights are respected and raise concerns when violations occur. The voice of those who defend and promote human rights is vital in a democracy, but by being vocal in society, HRDs and representatives of the non-governmental sector also become targets of attacks and discrediting, whether online or in the form of threats to their personal safety.

The Legal Resources Centre from Moldova (LRCM) team, together with international trainers from Front Line Defenders, organised a training session dedicated to personal security on 28-29 November 2023 for HRDs and members of CSOs. The training activity took place within the framework of the “Shields for Human Rights Defenders – Supporting Human Rights Defenders in the Republic of Moldovaˮ project, implemented by the LRCM, in partnership with EcoContact Association and the International Commission of Jurists, with the financial support of the European Union.

Human rights defenders and CSO representatives have acquired the skills to identify and assess the risks they may face in the course of their work. Through exercises to analyse and simulate possible risks to themselves, training participants understood how to determine their vulnerability to situations that could jeopardise their safety, such as attempts to break into the organisation’s office, attempts to steal information and digital materials held by HRDs and CSOs, or verbal, telephone and social media threats.

The training session provided a safe space for discussion about protection planning and the use of personal security techniques at both individual and organisational levels. In order for HRDs and CSOs to operate in a conducive environment in accordance with their full rights and freedoms, the event focused on holistic security. Participants engaged in activities to structure a security plan for their organisation and discussed the actors that could support them in crisis situations, as well as the institutions that could be hostile to them.

As a result of the two-day training, civil society colleagues and HRDs became better prepared to carry out their human rights advocacy work, taking into account the local context and potential personal security risks. Regardless of the challenges, civil society remains committed to democratic values and with the tools and knowledge gained, will be able to face attempts to reduce its voice and civic spirit.