Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in the Republic of Moldova have become more resilient thanks to a project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova (LRCM), in partnership with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and EcoContact Association. The results of the project were presented during a project-closing event, which took place at the end of May and was attended by representatives of the EU, the implementing partners, as well as some of the direct beneficiaries of the project.

In total, 464 HRDs and 35 institutions have participated in the project activities, benefiting from trainings in the field of personal and digital security and training sessions for environmental HRDs, as well as legal assistance for people who have been sued for defending or promoting human rights in the Republic of Moldova.

In parallel, an awareness-raising and information campaign on the concept of Human Rights Defenders was carried out through 16 informational materials, dedicated to both the wider public and the HRDs. The project team also developed three guides for emergency situations that HRDs may face and an action guide for Environmental Rights Defenders.

“The work and dedication of HRDs benefits the communities in which they work and is a fundamental pillar for the protection and respect of human rights, which are essential for a democratic and prosperous society. Therefore, one of the aims of this project was to strengthen HRDs’ capacity to act in the public interest and to encourage those who have certain fears, by letting them know that they are not alone in defending and promoting human rights”, mentioned Daniel Goinic, Programme Director at LRCM.

The project team, among other activities, monitored and documented attacks against civil society organisations (CSOs) and HRDs and published three radiographies for the years 2021-2023. The documents are available on the LRCM website, where a page dedicated to Human Rights Defenders was also created. Together with 12 legal papers (legal opinions, public declarations, and international communications) targeted at enhancing the normative framework governing the sphere of action of HRDs and CSOs, the project team also prepared and released 8 publications on related themes.

The conclusions of the independent evaluation report of the project were also presented at the closing event. The document states that the results achieved are promising, taking into account the budgetary limits of the project, and that the actions initiated need to be continued in order to maintain the positive trend of improving the environment for HRDs.