SOROS FOUNDATION-MOLDOVA

Transcription

1 SOROS FOUNDATION-MOLDOVA 2013 ANNUAL REPORT

2 CONTENTS MISSION STATEMENT 3 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 4 PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM 6 Priority 1: Support and Promotion of Palliative Care Policies 6 Priority 2: Support and Promotion of Social Inclusion 7 Priority 3: Support and Promotion of Policies and Programs in HIV/AIDS and TB 9 Priority 4: Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policies from the Health Sector 13 EQUALITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM 14 Priority 1: Promoting Democratic Values and Practices 15 Priority 2: Empowering Women from Rural Communities 16 EAST EAST BEYOND BORDERS PROGRAM 20 Priority 1: Partnerships with new EU Members, EaP Countries and Cross-Regionally 20 Priority 2: Stronger Adherence to European Values 21 Priority 3: Encouraging Civic Engagement and Participation 22 Priority 4: Social Cohesion and Integration Trends 23 CULTURAL POLICY PROGRAM 25 MEDIA PROGRAM 27 Priority 1: Building the Public Broadcasting Service 28 Priority 2: Adjusting Media Law to European Standards 29 Priority 3: Supporting Local Electronic Media Outlets 30 Priority 4: Cooperation of Independent Press Institutions from the Two Banks of the Nistru River 32 GOOD GOVERNANCE PROGRAM 34 Priority 1: Transparency and Accountability 35 Priority 2: Effective and Efficient Governance 36 JUSTICE PROGRAM 38 Priority 1: Increasing Access to Justice for the Poor 39 Priority 2: Improving Fairness and Accountability of the Criminal Justice System 40 Priority 3: Enhancing Respect for Civil Rights in Moldova EXPENDITURES 44 SOROS FOUNDATION-MOLDOVA BOARDS 45 SOROS FOUNDATION-MOLDOVA STAFF 47 DIRECTORY 48 ANNEX Projects financially supported in

3 MISSION STATEMENT The Soros Foundation-Moldova is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-partisan organization established in 1992 by philanthropist and financier George Soros to promote open society values in Moldova. The Foundation contributes to the democratization of the society by developing and implementing programs in various areas, such as independent media, cultural policy, judiciary reform, good governance, civic engagement and public health. 3

4 MESSAGE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR In 2013, the Soros Foundation-Moldova continued to support the priority areas set out in its strategy launched four years ago. In line with this strategy, we provided financial support for the development of activities comprising such areas as independence and efficiency of justice, media independence and access to information, public health and harm reduction, good governance and transparency of decisionmaking, citizens participation in decision-making and fight against discrimination. A notable achievement in the public health field was ensuring access for people with HIV/AIDS to qualitative palliative care services, rendered at home in Chișinău and Bălți,, within a project funded from the resources of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Also, within the project Community for All Moldova, a joint initiative of civil society and the government, implemented by the Keystone Human Services International Moldova, other 29 children and adults were deinstitutionalized from the Residential institution for children with severe mental disabilities from Orhei. They were reintegrated into their biological families / foster care or in community services, such as Community Home or Protected Living. A total of 96 children and adults were transferred from this institution into the community during the project implementation so far. Raising public awareness for a better understanding of the consequences of discrimination and the importance of equality in various fields of public and private life continued to be one of the Foundation s main priorities in the last four years. Several initiatives supported during 2013 focused on issues related to employment discrimination, the rights of people from psycho-neurological institutions, media investigation of cases of discrimination in various fields or promoting access to public facilities for persons with disabilities. We supported a series of independent policy research studies aimed at bringing into public debate the issues of high social importance and enhancing the government s capacity to respond to Moldova s current challenges by formulating coherent and realistic policies. The studies offered expertise on the following issues: organization of the final high school exams (BAC), the phenomenon of informal payments in high schools, and research capacities of higher education institutions. The survey results served,among other things, as basis for introducing changes in the organization of exams in The measures taken by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova targeted countering corruption during exams, as well as the phenomenon of plagiarism. The study The Formal and Informal Payments Paid by Parents in Schools, was also largely discussed, contributing to the initiation of several investigations and preventive measures to counter this phenomenon. We hope that the study findings and recommendations will serve to formulate a government policy in addressing the phenomenon of payments made by parents in schools. The infographics launched by the web portal generated debates in the society. Implemented by the Independent Think-Tank Expert-Grup, a long-term partner of the Foundation, the web portal became the only interactive tool from Moldova, which facilitates a better understanding of the public budget by citizens through a user-friendly graphic presentation of public expenditures. In particular, the audience was informed about how much the Parliament costs us, what for, to whom and where the subsidies in agriculture were allocated, about the expenditures and results in education, about how the money for health is spent, and about how much the public servants cost us. In the justice area, several initiatives were implemented in order to contribute to improving judges and prosecutors capacities to adequately respect the human rights at the pre-trial stage. To that end, the Explanatory Decision of the Supreme Court of Justice Plenum regarding the regulatory framework on preventive arrest and house arrest was developed and advocated for its adoption. In April 2013, the Territorial Offices of the National Legal Aid Council started to procure services from paralegals. This allowed extending the network of paralegals supported by the Foundation. Launching the 4

5 legal empowerment website the first online tool that explains the law in simple terms opened a new avenue for the population to access basic legal information. The paralegals network is part of a complex, multiannual project Boosting the Democratic Process in Moldova through Empowerment and Engagement, funded by the Government of Sweden. Within the project, during 2013, we succeeded in actively engaging women from rural communities in the decisionmaking processes, but also in implementing small local community initiatives. At the same time, this project had an impressive contribution in the area of regional electronic media and cooperation among journalists from the two banks of the Nistru River. Unfortunately, 2013 did not bring any significant change in the Moldovan media. The media market continued to develop at the same pace as during the previous year, facing the already traditional problems in the legal framework, lack of financial independence and a slow pace of reforms at the Teleradio-Moldova public broadcaster. To support activities addressing the above mentioned issues, the Foundation focused on the development of the legal framework in the area of digitization. This framework would provide for fair and transparent competition principles in digital multiplex and frequency spectrum licensing, as well as for demanding the independence of institutions responsible for ensuring the digitization. At the end of 2013, the East East Beyond Borders Program concluded its activity within the entire network, according to OSF leadership s decision. For several years, the EEBB Program offered support to regional and international initiatives, established long-term partnerships, and most importantly, it facilitated the exchange of ideas and information among NGOs year brought several challenges for the Soros Foundation-Moldova. Together with my colleagues, we developed a new strategy, which would guide our activitiesduring the next four years. I would like to thank the whole team, as well as our board members, for their devoted work and energy in the development of the new strategy. I express my gratitude for everyone s commitment and dedication to further promote the values of an open society and democratic practices in our country. Victor Ursu Executive Director 5

6 PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM Vision: An inclusive society ensuring equal access to quality health services for all citizens, including marginalized groups; a society where health policies are developed to secure human rights protection. During 2013, the activities carried out by the Public Health Program were in line with the approved strategy and action plan. The Program continued its work to advance health and rights of members of marginalized groups, including intravenous drug users, persons with incurable diseases, persons with intellectual and mental disabilities, and people with TB and HIV/AIDS. Support was also offered for the development of a sustainable mechanism to monitor the health care system and the compliance of the government with its responsibilities assumed in political documents. Priority 1: SUPPORT AND PROMOTION OF PALLIATIVE CARE POLICIES BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE (2003) AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION The Development of Palliative Care Becomes a Priority for the Government of the Republic of Moldova As a result of better medical care, the hope of life and survival of patients with chronic diseases and of those who are in severe stages of the disease is prolonged gradually. The number of people with cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infected with HIV / AIDS, etc. is growing and the need to enhance the quality of life of these patients until the last moments of life is included in all official documents, becoming a matter of serious concern for health professionals and the whole society. Palliative care represents a major health problem. It deals with the need of care and the quality of life of people in the terminal phase of the disease. Palliative care is the active and total care given to patients whose disease no longer responds to curative care. Pain and symptom control, psychological, social and spiritual care are essential in this case. The goal of palliative care is to ensure a good quality of life of the patient and his/her family. The concept of palliative care is practically unknown to the public in the Republic of Moldova and as a rule, it is vaguely defined by health professionals. people with incurable diseases. Over a few past years, the availability and sustainability of national financial resources for the development of palliative care services have been one of the challenges and concerns of the Public Health Program of the Foundation. In 2012, the Ministry of Health approved the costs for palliative care services offered at home and in the hospital, which were developed within the project Costing for Change. As a result of common efforts, and after overcoming several impediments, in 2013, the National Health Insurance Company contracted a number of service providers based on the costs developed in the framework of this project. In consequence, the foundation for the sustainability and durability of palliative care services at national level was created. Palliative care providers felt encouraged by these initiatives; their number increased, allowing a growing access to quality services for Key Achievements More than 2000 healthcare professionals from all over the country were trained in palliative care within more than 40 seminars The palliative care costs for home based and inpatient unit services were reevaluated and approved by the Ministry of Health 6

7 An Order on the Organization of Palliative Care Services was signed by the Ministry of Health, which obliges all rayon hospitals to organize palliative care units and to provide palliative care services according to National Clinical Protocols The project Development of Palliative Care Services in HIV/AIDS was launched and two new specialized teams in Chișinău and Bălți municipalities were set up Priority 2: SUPPORT AND PROMOTION OF SOCIAL INCLUSION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND PROVISION OF A BETTER ACCESS TO EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES A Working Place Means an Independent Life for George Every day, George gets up early in the morning, washes his face, dresses up, eats his breakfast and goes to work. The store for construction materials from Călărași is his first job place. George is 27 years old and most of his lifetime he had spent in residential institutions. In 2011, with the support of Keystone Moldova he left his last home, the residential home for mentally disabled children (boys). Currently, George is one of the beneficiaries of the social service "Protected Living", offered in the town of Călărași. "I'm glad that I have a job. I have a salary and I can buy whatever I want - sweets, salami, soda", says George. This important step towards an independent living was made with the assistance of the supporting personnel and his friends. George is a very good employee. He is responsible and that is why he enjoys the respect and appreciation of his workmates. He has a full work schedule and sometimes he works even on weekends, which makes him happy because he really feels being a member of the community. Despite the fear of failure, anxiety, shyness and discrimination he sometimes faces, he overcomes daily obstacles. For more than a half a year, George has had a stable salary, which offers him the chance to pay on his own the Internet connection and buy whatever he wants from stores. Sausages and sweets are the products which he lacked in the residential institution and which he likes now. Besides the satisfaction of receiving a stable income, George enjoys the fact that he has an active life and that he is no longer stuck in the house, without any occupation. He has made new friends at work with whom he discusses various topics during breaks. "I work, but I also have free time to get some rest," he said. His friends are glad for his success and stand by him, encouraging him. "George is a good boy he works and has a good salary", said Arcadie, his friend, with whom he lived together in the boarding house. Moreover, George's achievements have motivated his housemates and now they want to work as well and to learn as much as possible to be able to realize their dreams. 7

8 Integration of Peoplewith DisabilitiesBegins in School Whenthe employees of the NGO Familyand Child - Protection and Support met Ninuța for the first time, the girl had an inappropriate behavior. She did not recognizeanyone,could not speak properly, and produced some soundsunderstoodonlyby her mother. Ninuța keptcrying all the time, did not respond tocommentsand did not want to stay away from her mother. In 2009, the girl went toa summer campwithher cousinand other children. Beingin anew and unfamiliarenvironment, she did not wantto do anythingduring the first days. Along the way, however, she began to engagein more and moreactivities. The encouragement and support, which came from the specialists from the Mobile Team, contributed a lot to improving her state. During the summer camp, Ninuța benefited from the specialized services of the speech therapist, who later becameher best friend. Although Ninuța hadspecial educational needs, the team of the organization"familyand Child - Protection and Support urged theadministration of the gymnasium from Măşcăuţi, Criuleni, toenroll her in school.following severalmeetings,whereteacherswere offered methodological assistance inorganizing an inclusive educational process for Ninuța, the girl wasenrolled in the first grade, even though she wasalmost 9years old.the curriculumwas adaptedaccording to her developmental needs. The teacherremembers that during the first daysat school, Ninuța had an aggressive behavior, pushed otherchildren, and did not listen to assignments. The teacher kept working according to an individual educational plan, and in the course of time, the childbecamemore sociable. Furthermore, classmates offered herall the necessary support to help her integrate in their class. Ninuța is now 14 years old, studies in thesixth grade,andattendsschool regularly.during these past several years,being motivated by thepeople around, she learnedto write, to readand topronounce new words. Even if she cannot express herself clearly, the classmates understand her and help herspeak correctly. After lessons, the girl comes to theresource Center forinclusive Educationin the lyceum, where she likes toattend origami classes. Her storyshows thateachchild is uniqueand valuableinthe education system. The changeswhich she went through representthe success of everybody- Ninuța,her mother, teachers, andnot leastthe teamof the"familyand Child - Protection and Support", whichis implementing the project "Socioeducational Inclusionof ChildrenwithSpecialEducational Needsin Dubăsari,Criuleni", funded bythe Public Health Programof the Soros Foundation-Moldova. Key Achievements In order to ensure an inclusive society, Keystone Moldova implements the project Community for All Moldova, in partnership with OSF Mental Health Initiative and the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family. This project aims to support the reform of the social protection system for persons with disabilities in the Republic of Moldova. The following major results were achieved in this area during 2013: 29 children and adults were deinstitutionalized from the Residential institution for children with severe mental disabilities from Orhei and were reintegrated into their biological families / foster care or in community services. A total of 96 children and adults were transferred from this institution into the community during the project implementation so far. 105 persons with disabilities benefited from family support services according to their needs, including behavioral support, psychological counselling, support in inclusive education, selfautonomy enhancement, medical and social care, and legal support. 8

9 Due to the technical assistance offered to local public authorities, 20 new social services for people with disabilities were created, including 7 Mobile Teams, 4 Respiro Services, 3 Community Homes, 3 Specialized Family Care Services, 1 Protected Living, 1 Professional Parental Assistance Service, 1 Service for job placement support. More than 290 persons with disabilities benefited from the newly created services in new social services were created by local public authorities with the support of Keystone Moldova from the beginning of the Program, and more than 1500 people benefited from these services. Technical assistance was offered to the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family to develop the following normative documents: Regulations and standards for the Specialized Family Placement service; An Operational Manual for the Mobile Team service; Practical Guidelines for the Evaluation, Deinstitutionalization and Social Inclusion of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; The curriculum and course support materials for training of specialists hired by the National Agency for Employment and its territorial agencies, which has the aim to support persons with disabilities during the employment process; The mechanism of social contracting. The Government of the Republic of Moldova approved all these documents in 2013 (except the Mechanism for social contracting). In collaboration with the Centre for Early Intervention Voinicel and the Centre for Health Policies and Studies, the legal framework for institutionalization of early intervention services was developed. In addition, the normative framework for Regulations on organization and functioning of early intervention services and Minimum quality standards of early intervention services were developed. The Government of the Republic of Moldova is reviewing these documents, with a subsequent approval. Priority 3: SUPPORT AND PROMOTION OF POLICIES AND PROGRAMS IN HIV/AIDS AND TB TO REDUCE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY AMONG THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MOST AT RISK GROUPS FOR HIV AND TB INFECTION, PEOPLE LIVING WITH TB AND HIV HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are major health problems in the Republic of Moldova. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS and TB remains at a high level and shows constant growing trends, which calls the state and the non-government sector to provide an adequate response to these epidemics. There is a Way to Overcome Suffering Victoria s story begins when the girl was thrown out of home, after finishing high school. Thus my homeless life began, Victoria remembers. Without education and a job, the girl could do only agricultural work. In the newspaper Makler there were ads that selected girls. I answered such an ad and started to work as an escort in various hotels from Chișinău, Victoria recounts. Then she went abroad. There she went through a lot of hardships and suffering. During those years, I spent time with drug users, who could beat or rape me. I remember in Moscow, I was beaten so hard that they held me in a basement for two days. However, the most horrifying moment was when she learned that she was infected with HIV. Victoria ended up offering sexual services while being in Turkey, when she fell in love. Her boyfriend paid the ransom to her owner and invited her to live with him. She found out later that her partner was a drug dealer. One day, their car was stopped by the police and psychotropic substances were found. Victoria was deported to Moldova shortly after the incident. The last words she heard from her boyfriend were to be tested on HIV. At home, on February 14, Victoria took the test. The result was positive. When I found out, I went out of the hospital and burst into tears. The doctors told me that I had to live from 3 to 4 years, 6 at most. In that moment, I already had two children and wanted to see them married and become parents. My children were the only motivation that prevented me from extreme measures. A long way of rehabilitation and adaptation to her new life continued for Victoria. She found the help she needed at the Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Human Trafficking, and later at the Biaz-Gul organization. At first, I went to the infectious disease doctor. He could not help me, but the nurse told me 9

10 about the Biaz-Gul organization from Comrat. When I went there, I was in a terrible state. I was panicked because I was unemployed, a single mother, and seriously ill. I met other girls from my town and understood that I was not alone. Seeing how others struggle, but manage to get out of the deadlock, and hearing other stories, I realized that my situation was not the worst. There is a way to get over grief, Victoria remembers. Her desire to overcome her situation determined her to help others. The Biaz-Gul organization proposed her to become a peer-to-peer educator. Although Victoria had no specialized education, she did a great job in this position. Due to her personal qualities and professional trainings, Victoria earned experience and gained the trust of others. Looking back, Victoria remembers: Life was really tough with me. My family humiliated me; my own mother insulted me in the worst way. However, my children helped me. The older daughter knows about my diagnosis and supports me. Of course, I have my team mates by my side. Victoria learned to accept her HIV+ status and today she is more optimistic about her life. I m weaker than most of the people. I know I get tired quickly. Even if I get exercise, I know that I ll feel worse later. I try to change my life gradually. This is how I learned to accept and be at peace with myself. When we speak about HIV, there are no ideal stories about healing and total rehabilitation. There is no way back or what ifs. However, the way people fight for their own happiness, inspires others to enjoy their lives. To live for themselves, for the people that are next to them, for those who need them. Best Pupil in School Maxim came into the attention of the Biaz-Gul organization in 2007, when the infectious disease doctor asked them for assistance. At the age of 6, without both parents, the child was infected with HIV. His father died of AIDS in 2002, and his mother - four years later. The boy was living with his two minor sisters. Even if he had a legal tutor his aunt, she was living abroad and did not participate in the boy s life and education. One of his sisters worked at the local bar and Maxim was there day and night, because he did not have decent living conditions at home. The specialists from the Biaz-Gul organization made several requests to the guardianship authority from Comrat and the aunt was deprived of the right to custody. The best solution at that time was placing the boy in a boarding school. While at the boarding school, the specialists began Maxim s rehabilitation and integration into the group of children. Maxim was a very shy child. He had a psychological trauma and did not want to get in contact with anyone. When he arrived at school, he was in a deplorable health condition, the disease being in an advanced stage and he needed antiretroviral therapy. He was put in hospital in Chișinău and since then, every three months, we take him to Chișinău for tests, and watch that his therapy is carefully dosed, the specialist from the organization mentioned. A new life started for Maxim after he got into the boarding school. He adapted quite well to the new conditions, made new friends, and still keeps in touch with his sisters. Following his success at school, he was selected for an exchange program in Germany. Maxim is one of the best students from the boarding school and achieved a great academic performance in competitions and Olympiads. My Past Helps Me to Support Other Drug Users Ruslan had a passion for sports in his childhood, especially for handball. He was against drugs even if most of his friends used them. Sports was always in the first place and he participated four times in the World Championships for juniors, representing the Republic of Moldova. In 1993, when he was 17 years old, Ruslan went to Moscow. Being away from home and being surrounded by friends, everything became accessible to him drugs, relationships. He began stealing, but just for fun, to feel the adrenaline. In 1994, I went to the seaside to Odessa with my friends. There I started using drugs. When my best friend offered me to use drugs, I got really angry and even wanted to hit him. However, when he accused 10

11 me of being afraid, I wanted to prove that I wasn t any coward. I took a taxi and found the first drug dealer. The effect of the first shot gave me an indescribable euphoric mood and in the morning I went after a new dose, Ruslan recounts. For over a year, no one from his family noticed that he was a drug user. He had enough money. He rarely came home and considered that everything was all right. Three years after his first shot, Ruslan was prosecuted for extortion and theft for the first time. He got an 8-month sentence, but his parents saved him, considering that he realized his dreadful situation. At the same time, his friends told him about the harm reduction program, where he could benefit from free syringes, disinfectants and he could talk with others on various topics. Ruslan continued using drugs and was sentenced to prison twice during six years. While being in the prison #16, he benefited from the Methadone Substitution Therapy Program. When he was released in 2010, Ruslan decided to give up on drugs and change his behavior. It was in 2010 when I met the guys from the harm reduction program from Bălți, but at first I didn t take them seriously. I managed to get a job as an industrial climber. I started making money, started a family and continued to participate in the Methadone Substitution Therapy Program (MST). Slowly I changed my life principles, Ruslan says. In 2013, within the MST Program, two offices opened in Bălți. Ruslan joined the Initiative Group for the MST and started to participate in various meetings, where he could talk about the harm reduction program and the rights of drug users. Ruslan showed interest in the peer-to-peer meetings, becoming actively involved in the program. Step by step, I left the MST Program and got a new job. I m much better now, and the relationships with my family and friends have improved. My past helps me now to offer support to other persons who are going through similar situations that I went through, says Ruslan smiling. Tuberculosis Can Be Treated with Support and Personal Responsibility Sergiu returned from working abroad because he felt tired, weak, and was coughing. For several weeks he tried to treat himself at home, but his health condition did not improve. Sergiu went to a doctor, and his tests showed that he was suffering from tuberculosis. After investigating his family members, they found out that his 8-year old daughter was also sick. Both of them were hospitalized in the hospital of the Phthisiopneumology Institute in Chișinău. They continued their treatment at home, after returning from the hospital. The team from the of the Psychologists from Tighina NGO, together with the local multidisciplinary team, offered them psychological and social support during the period of treatment. At home, Sergiu and his daughter, Ecaterina, had to face the hostility of their neighbors, acquaintances, and even relatives who avoided them. The project team visited the family several times, offering them psychological support and health educational sessions. As a result, their neighbors and the community stopped discriminating them. The team s psychologist also discussed with Ecaterina s teacher and colleagues who supported her when she returned to school. An important role was also played by the family members who assumed all the household chores so that the patients could follow the prescribed treatment. The treatment lasted for 10 months and ended successfully. Currently, Sergiu and his daughter s case is used as an example for other local patients. Tuberculosis is not a disgrace; it can happen to anyone, but the support of others matters in order to overcome this disease. 11

12 Persons with Tuberculosis Need Psychological Support Iurie assists patients with tuberculosis, especially in the early detection of TB cases in risk groups. This is how he met Andrei, through a mutual friend who suspected him of having tuberculosis. Iurie visited Andrei immediately and found that the man needed urgent medical assistance. However, Andrei reacted violently, refusing to go to a doctor. Iurie finally convinced Andrei to take the necessary medical tests. The results showed that Andrei had a serous form of tuberculosis. Iurie did his best to persuade Andrei that tuberculosis was not a final verdict, and that his health could improve if he followed the treatment. Iurie decided to start the treatment, but soon he had side effects and he felt sick and refused to continue it. I tried to convince him about the importance of following the treatment, but in the end I decided to bring medicines to his home. During my visits, we discussed for hours about the hardships he was facing, says Iurie. Andrei was an alcohol and drug user and he often went through various emotional crisis. He had periods when he stubbornly refused to follow the treatment and I was giving him arguments for him to adhere to it. We even had a deal: when Andrei was feeling that the situation was getting out of control, he would call me to discuss about his feelings, says Iurie. Periodically, Iurie went with Andrei to the doctor for medical investigations, especially when the man was feeling depressed and hopeless. Iurie also got involved in improving Andrei s living conditions. Thus, after discussing with social assistants, he helped Andrei benefit from various social benefits, managing to maintain the treatment for 24 months. Currently, Andrei is feeling better and he follows the ARV treatment. People with TB need a special treatment a medical and a psychological one. Support, trust, and care are important factors in a long-term therapy, which can have unpleasant secondary effects. Each patient who gives up on his treatment is a social failure; he is a person who could not find the necessary support to heal and prevent the spread of illness to the people who are around him. Key Achievements In order to initiate the takeover of funding programs of HIV prevention, parentally transmitted infections and STIs prevention in groups with high-risk of HIV infection, the Ministry of Health established a Working Group to pilot the funding of harm reduction services, more specifically to support a needle exchange project with internal funds. A fundamental achievement was ensuring access for people with HIV/AIDS to qualitative palliative care services, rendered at home in Chișinău and Bălți. All these accomplishments were achieved within a project funded from the resources of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. 12

13 Priority 4: MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES FROM HEALTH SECTOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AND THE USE OF THE RESULTS FOR REFORM Monitoring Public Policies and Encouraging Patients to Participate in Decision-Making The Center for Health Policies and Studies has launched an information and communication platform in health. It includes several modules: a) health news; b) information and education on TB; c) assessment of public hospitals; d) monitoring hospital activity. These modules are designed to offer users the latest health news, constructed in a textual and video format. In order to encourage and mobilize patients participation in monitoring and evaluation of hospital services, the PAS Center initiated the action "Hospitals Closer to Patients," which is the result of a partnership between the PAS Center, the Health Department of the Municipal Council, and public hospitals from Chișinău. The portal offers users a tool to assess patients satisfaction with the healthcare services provided in public hospitals. On this platform, anyone can access and see, which are performances of the hospitals in Moldova, can compare them, evaluate them and can even leave comments about the treatment they have received and the conditions of the hospital where he has been treated. Some of the materials posted urged the authorities and other stakeholders to undertake adequate measures to address the problems presented on the portal. For example, the blog article addressing the issue of the mandatory gynecological examination certificate of a mother at enrolment of her children in Chișinău kindergartens led to the Public Health Centre s checks on those institutions. The news, reviews, interviews and press releases on the activity of the College of Physicians from Moldova led to the withdrawal of this issue from the agenda of the meeting and organization of public discussions on this subject by the parliamentary commission. Another reaction of authorities was based on articles about the strategy on the health system reform that was to be submitted to the parliament by the Ministry of Health without a proper consultation with stakeholders. The authorities initiated the process of drafting the policy document by creating working groups. Another case when the Ministry of Health reacted positively to articles posted on this platform was related to delays and inadequate implementation of the project Supervision of TB Treatment. Key Achievements A quantitative research was conducted on access and quality of inpatient medical care; The Hospital Rating, Edition 2013, was done Spitale.MD ( portal was created The policy brief Ensuring Access to ARV Drugs from Public Funding for : Possible Scenarios was drafted. 13

14 EQUALITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM Vision: An open and democratic society in which the principles of equality and equal participation of women and men in good governance are fully respected. Context: The Equality and Civic Engagement Program had two priorities in 2013: to raise awareness and understanding of the phenomenon of discrimination among average citizens and to consolidate good governance at local level by empowering women to actively participate in their communities and decisionmaking processes. In order to achieve these objectives, the program fostered strong partnerships with non-governmental organizations, which promote human rights and actively advocate for gender equality, as well as with activists who support human rights. Similar to the last three years, the program offered financial support to several non-governmental organizations to implement projects on raising public awareness for a better understanding of the consequences of discrimination and the importance of equality in various fields of public and private life. In particular, these initiatives focused on issues related to employment discrimination, the rights of people from psycho-neurological institutions, media investigation of cases of discrimination in various fields, raising public awareness through TV shows and video stories, promoting access to public facilities for persons with disabilities and empowering a group of people with mental disabilities in protecting their rights. Given the new context related to the passing of the Law on ensuring equality and the need to have lawyers versed in this field, a new group of 18 lawyers and legal advisers were trained to learn how to apply the principles of prevention and combating discrimination correctly, to offer high-quality legal aid in discrimination cases, to initiate a law practice in this field, to develop strategic cases that would test the new law, and to identify the weak points in the legal framework that would require subsequent amendments. The program also focused on promoting women s rights, offering support to three women from marginalized groups to participate in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in Geneva. We also provided support for thematic seminars in preventing and combating violence in two rayons, during the National Campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. The Foundation continued its partnership with the Government of Sweden in implementing the Empowerment of Women from Rural Communities project in cooperation with the Partnership Development Center NGO. The project, scheduled for three years, has the purpose of consolidating good governance at the local level by empowering women from rural communities to actively participate in local decision-making processes and development. One of the proposed objectives is to build the capacities of women from rural communities for participation in local democratic processes. To this end, 17 participants of the first edition of the CIVITA Women s Leadership Academy benefitted from the technical assistance of mentors, undertook an internship, and had the opportunity to develop and implement small local community initiatives. In September 2013, the second edition of the CIVITA Academy started, in which 25 women attended a comprehensive training program and are to benefit from practical activities similar to those from the first edition. In addition, the third edition of the Rural Women Leaders Forum took place on International Day of Rural Women. The event was organized in partnership with the National Federation of Agricultural Producers and the Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project. The Forum offered a platform for women to voice the problems they face and make proposals to improve the policies that affect them. 14

15 Priority 1: PROMOTE DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND PRACTICES UNDERLYING THE RESPECT FOR THE PRINCIPLES OF EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY Grants Program on Promoting and Combating Discrimination Promoting non-discriminatory employment practices, empowering a group of people with mental disabilities who were deinstitutionalized from residential institutions in order to know and exercise their rights; promoting the right of autonomy and support in decision-making for people with mental disabilities; raising awareness among decision makers and authorities on the discrimination of disabled people in the context of limited access to public infrastructure; raising public awareness on issues related to various types of discrimination, and strengthening media capacity to write about issues of discrimination in a professional manner these were the initiatives that gained support, following a public competition for non-governmental organizations. The main goal of this grants program was to improve public understanding of the phenomenon of discrimination and to empower civil society actors in promoting practices of mitigation and prevention of discriminatory treatments. Training Program for Lawyers and Legal Advisers on Anti-discrimination The program organized two training sessions in the field of anti-discrimination for a group of 16 lawyers and legal advisers. The first workshop focused on presenting and discussing concepts and procedures specific to the anti-discrimination law, including analysis of case studies. During the second workshop, participants reviewed and used the new concepts during simulation of cases in various areas: education, health, access to public services, housing, employment, harassment. Each participant had at least one opportunity to plead as a lawyer or judge. The training methodology used by trainers from Romania and Moldova followed the principle of learning through experience. The participants expressed a keen interest in the training program with the intention to immediately apply the gained knowledge in their work. Support for Three Women from Marginalized Groups to Participate in CEDAW Sessions During September 29-October 3, three women representatives of vulnerable groups travelled to Geneva to participate in the CEDAW sessions (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), where the hearings of the Government of the Republic of Moldova on the fourth and fifth country reports related to women s rights situation in Moldova took place. The group of participants was selected by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights during an extensive program on empowering women from marginalized groups. Seminars on Prevention of Domestic Violence Organized for Two Groups of Mayors from Fălești and Anenii Noi Rayons Over 70 mayors and experts in preventing and combating domestic violence participated in two meetings on Strategies for Working with Domestic Violence Cases, organized in Fălești and the village of Calfa, Anenii Noi rayon. The agenda put into discussion such issues as the regulatory framework in preventing and combating domestic violence, the National Referral System on protection and empowerment of victims, and positive practices of solving domestic violence cases. The activities were part of the international campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, organized by national and local authorities in partnership with international and non-governmental institutions from the country. 15

16 Priority 2: CONSOLIDATE GOOD GOVERNANCE BY ENCOURAGING AND EMPOWERING WOMEN FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES AND CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Change in the Society is in the Hands of Women from Rural Communities Access of women from rural communities to qualitative health services, development of businesses by women, conditioning the public funding of political parties by the percentage of women on electoral lists these were the issues put into discussion during the third edition of the Rural Women Leaders Forum. The event was organized by the Soros Foundation-Moldova, in partnership with the National Federation of Agricultural Producers and the Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project cofunded by the USAID and MCC, with the financial support of Sweden. The 2013 edition took place on the International Day of Rural Women. The Rural Women Leaders Forum offered a platform for women to voice the problems they face, and make proposals to improve the policies that affect them. There are at least two certain things when we speak about women from rural communities. They make a crucial contribution to the development of communities; however, they are the most underestimated and poorly paid workers. We often talk about them in terms of stereotypes and less about the achievements that characterize them. We got convinced in the previous edition of the Forum that women represent a real force in their communities, becoming role models for others. We, who represent civil society, must support these women when they have to defend their rights, when they need to grow professionally and should be next to them when they want to accomplish their dreams, by engaging in the decision-making process, launching a business or any other field of development, said Elena Leșan, Director of the Equality and Civic Engagement Program of the Soros Foundation-Moldova. The Executive Director of the National Federation of Agricultural Producers from Moldova AGROinform, Aurelia Bondari mentioned among other things: Over one million women live in rural areas. Empowerment of women from this space is extremely important, since the development of villages from our country lies in their power. By ensuring the fundamental rights of women, offering them opportunities and fair policies, we can guarantee to our children and to the entire society a better future, where everybody is equal under the law. We have decided to be a part of this event because agriculture is the main economic activity of women from rural areas. The ACED Project actively contributes to the development of this field. Our goal is to engage more women from the agricultural sector in our activities. We want women from rural areas to acquire more information and knowledge, to share their experience with other women, and to be more confident and powerful. We also want to see women as agricultural entrepreneurs who contribute to the development of Moldova s economy, said Elena Brânza, specialist in gender issues at ACED Project. The panels focused on social, economic and political issues. The participants debated about the limited access of women from rural areas to qualitative health services, but also about launching and developing businesses, insisting on the limited access to funding, information, and the lack of women s association in business management. The group specialized in political issues discussed about conditioning the public funding of political parties by the percentage of women enlisted in the electoral lists. 16

17 The third edition of the Rural Women Leaders Forum brought attention to the success stories of several women. Ludmila CEAGLIC, mayor, the village of Calfa, Anenii Noi rayon, Svetlana PANAITOVA, president of the Women s from Gagauzia NGO, Comrat, Lilia MOSCVIN, entrepreneur from Leova, Veronica RAZUMAS, social assistant, Căușeni, and Maria MALANCIUC, judge from Ungheni, shared their experiences and successes accomplished in their career. During a special inspirational session, Natalia VRABIE, honorary president of Moldova Agroindbank, encouraged the participants to follow their dreams and goals. Events carried out by the implementing partner, the Partnership for Development Center NGO CIVITA Mentoring and Internship Program, the First Edition The CIVITA Leadership Academy for women had the objective to consolidate good governance at the local level by empowering women from rural communities to actively participate in decision-making processes. Following a comprehensive training program, the participants of the first edition had the opportunity to put into practice and develop the new skills acquired during the training by developing various activities. 17 beneficiaries were offered the support of a group of mentors, successful women who accomplished important achievements in their careers. The mentoring relationship lasted for four months, however many relations continued to develop after this period. The participants continued to exchange information, to make study visits to the localities where their mentors worked and developed joint community projects. In addition, they benefitted from internships to various businesses, nongovernmental, social, and educational institutions, which were selected according to the participants field of interest. Women Engaging in Community Life Agents of Change The participants of the first edition of the CIVITA Program used all the acquired knowledge in the training, mentoring and internship programs in order to mobilize and motivate their community members to actively engage in solving specific community issues. 15 community initiatives in various fields were implemented: seven projects in the educational field, four activities to develop social services, two projects related to improving infrastructure and other two targeting capacity strengthening of local authorities. All the projects included activities of community engagement, raising the level of women s engagement in the decisionmaking process and gaining local authorities support, including through co-funding of some activities. The educational projects were aimed at improving the quality of education through the use of audio-visual teaching materials, reducing drop out, and developing new learning opportunities. Children and their parents were the direct beneficiaries of these initiatives. A good example is the project implemented by Angela ABABII, at the Cobîlea village High School, Șoldănești rayon. The grantee aimed to provide equal opportunities to boys and girls whose parents work abroad. The activities were aimed at offering assistance and motivating schoolchildren to participate in extra-curricular activities. Parents were engaged in the local decision-making process, requiring an efficient work of the commission for children s rights and an active involvement of teachers in organizing various specific activities based on children s interests. Due to parents engagement, we succeeded in opening five clubs, including The Art of Beauty, Reading ad Creation, Cinema and Photo, Architecture and Art Education and Communication through Skype. Pupils discovered new talents and interests during these meetings; they became more 17

18 engaged in school life and even showed a better school performance, said Angela ABABII, project manager. The four projects aimed at improving social services targeted inclusion of children whose parents are working abroad, training and development of certain skills of social workers, solving social problems and offering specific services to women in rural communities. Lilia MUSTAȚĂ from the village of Fîrlădeni, Căușeni rayon, solved an important community problem, engaging a group of women in convincing the local public authorities to set up an authorized waste collection site. 40 women participated in local council s meetings when this issue was put into discussion. In addition, Lilia MUSTAȚĂ succeeded in raising the level of transparency of the local authorities by developing the Regulation on transparency of decision-making. The projects related to infrastructure improvement aimed at ensuring physical access of community residents, particularly women and children, to important social institutions located in more remote areas. The implementation teams repaired a road and a bridge that would become inaccessible after heavy rains. Aliona CASTRAVEȚ from the village of Mileștii Mici, Ialoveni rayon, succeeded in creating a successful partnership between the public and private sectors for this infrastructure project. In order to solve this problem, I trained a group of women and we conducted together several lobby activities at the City Hall to prevent the privatization of the road. We also managed to collect additional funds from the local quarry, various businesses, and as a result, repaired the road, said Aliona CASTRAVEȚ. This woman s success in improving the standards of living in the village demonstrates the need to include community members in the local decisionmaking. On the other hand, Eugenia ROTARI from Ungheni wanted to help communities from the rayon to attract foreign investment funds. The woman conducted several trainings for public servants on writing projects proposals, fundraising and donor interaction. All the 32 communities developed strategies to attract foreign investments and wrote project proposals. These success stories prove once again that women s engagement in community life is determinant in the development and improvement of living conditions in various localities. CIVITA Leadership Academy Training Modules, Second Edition The second edition of the Academy was launched in September women participated in four training modules dealing with various aspects of leadership: developing leadership abilities; consolidating leadership skills; advanced training in leadership; leaders in action. The participants had a chance to both familiarize themselves with theoretical terms and learn practical skills like efficient communication, strategic planning, project management and public relations. These women proposed various ideas to improve the lives of children from villages, to offer villagers opportunities to engage in the life of their community, thus contributing to decent living conditions for everybody. Studies and Publications Launched in 2013 The bookletfree Access to Everybody, implemented by Motivation, is targeted to people with disabilities, NGO representatives and other experts from this field, to authorities responsible for ensuring accessibility conditions and to all the persons with reduced mobility. The booklet contains information on legal norms, construction standards, technical designs and other material designed to 18

19 inform the reader about the possibilities to access public spaces, the responsibilities of certain public actors and about the required standards to carry out these works. The Right to Legal Capacity of Persons with Disabilities. A Comparative Study of Moldovan Legislation and International Standards, implemented by the Legal Aid Center for Persons with Disabilities, contains an analysis of international and European standards in the field of legal capacity and guardianship compared with national legislation. Civil defense law, mental health law, as well as family, electoral and labor laws were analyzed. The authors made a number of recommendations to adjust national legislation to current international standards. The guide UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A Guide for Local Public Authorities, implemented by Keystone Human Services International Moldova, is to help local authorities, service providers and civil society understand the responsibilities imposed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the Republic of Moldova in July The Strategy for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Orhei Rayon, implemented by Keystone Human Services International Moldova,was developed following a comprehensive participatory process of strategic planning. The document is a strategic paper that addresses problems of the persons with disabilities from the rayon of Orhei and includes a set of activities for related to the social inclusion of these people. The Strategy for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Călărași, implemented by Keystone Human Services International Moldova,was developed following a comprehensive participatory process of strategic planning. The strategy targets problems of the persons with disabilities from the rayon of Călărași and includes a set of activities for related to the social inclusion of these people. 19

20 EAST EAST BEYOND BORDERS PROGRAM Vision: A sustainable partnership between Moldova and other countries of the world, predominantly from Central and Eastern Europe, promoting an efficient cooperation and identifying regional and global experiences, expertise and innovative practices to contribute to solving issues of major public concern the new democracies face. Context: During 2013, the EEBB Program continued to support regional and international initiatives, developing partnerships and strengthening social activism through a comparative perspective, facilitating exchange of ideas and views, studying relevant models and good practices and encouraging civil society s engagement in social, economic and political dialogue aimed at building an open society in the Republic of Moldova. In 2013, the EEBB Program concluded its activity in Central and East European countries with several Open Society Foundations from EU-member countries (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria) leaving the network. That meant that the EEBBP redirected its priorities towards strengthening collaboration with other partner-countries from Western Balkans and former Soviet republics through identifying issues of common interest. This restructuring process finalized by completing several projects initiated earlier with organizations from EU-member countries, but also initiating and implementing new initiatives, developing and enriching collaborations at a smaller scale. From this perspective, the Moldovan civil society became familiar with the experience of the post-soviet countries, by sharing its experience and lessons learned with EaP (Eastern European Partnership) counterparts, positioning itself as a valuable resource. As a result, experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had the opportunity to become familiar with successes achieved and hardships faced by Moldova in carrying out reforms in various fields, crucial for its further democratization. At the same time, the Program supported dialogue, communication and sharing of ideas and practices available in Western Balkans, to some extent more advanced and relevant, specifically with countries that had already gained clear prospects for EU membership or have the chance to get it in near future. From that point of view, the experience of Serbia was of special interest, facilitating access for Moldovan counterparts to first-hand information and on-the-ground experience, received during the study visit to Serbia. Through open discussions held during the visit to Moldova of experts from Western Balkans and EaP countries, the most problematic issues faced on the way towards EU approximation were touched, such as anti-corruption policies and their shortcomings, the civil society s contribution to ensuring transparency of the governance, efforts needed for keeping authorities accountable, etc. Not less important was the discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of being a part of one of the integrationist projects that currently divide people s options on future development models, disputed especially in post-soviet countries like Moldova or Ukraine. Due to the Program s support, a regional platform for exchange of opinions was established, involving experts and civil society representatives from countries facing such issues. As a result, meaningful discussions were held on issues of major concern, which brought to the public at large valuable recommendations for their prevention or overcoming. By the end of December 2013, according to OSF leadership s decision, the EEBB Program concluded its activity within the entire network. However, OSF is in the process of identifying new opportunities for encouraging collaboration among civil society organizations at the global level to further contribute building open societies throughout the world. Priority 1: EFFICIENT PARTNERSHIPS WITH NEW EU MEMBERS, EAP COUNTRIES AND CROSS- REGIONALLY Among supported initiatives under this priority, the most relevant was access to the experience gained by the Serbian civil society in the process of association with EU that concluded with receiving the EU candidacy status. The main focus of the project was to engage Moldovan civil society more actively in building a pro-european agenda by sharing experiences from Serbia and other countries of Western Balkans on implementation and monitoring legal reforms related to the Europeanization process, but also 20

21 by studying anti-corruption strategies called to diminish corruption practices enrooted heavily within societies. This initiative served as a great opportunity for Moldovan counterparts for acquiring valuable expertise on managing reforms related to ensuring transparency and rule of law, justice and human rights protection, etc. This project-facilitated access to positive or less positive experience of other EU candidates or aspiring countries from the region. The initiative proved that there are many issues of common interest and the experience of Western Balkans, especially in fighting corruption and engaging CSOs in this process, proved to be a good resource for future endeavors. Another relevant initiative contributed to establishing a pool of experts from Moldova, Ukraine and other post-soviet countries to exchange views concerning the progress of EU-backed reforms in the countries of Eastern Partnership and examining new challenges caused by the emerging Russian soft power in the region and expected short-term and long-term outcomes. This initiative facilitated and enhanced the interaction between experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine interested in discussing the challenges and opportunities in their respective countries, ahead of the Eastern Partnership Summit held in Vilnius, in the context of the geopolitical competition established currently in the post-soviet space. Due to another initiative that supported discussions during the study visit to Moldova of relevant experts from EaP countries, a joint policy paper was developed by Moldovan and Ukrainian experts entitled Competition of Geopolitical Interests in the Post-Soviet Space: Future Prospects for the Eastern Partnership Countries. The study brought to the public attention concrete examples of Russian interference into internal affairs of EaP countries such as Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia, possible outcomes of such an involvement for the region and prospects for these countries further Europeanization. At the same time, the direct impact of the Russian soft power on the foreign policy strategies of EaP countries was analyzed. The joint study was presented publicly in Kyiv and Chișinău on the eve of the Vilnius Summit, in which participating experts and the public exchanged thoughtful opinions on various tools that the Russian Federation uses to maintain its influence in the near-abroad. Another common issue discussed at both events was the Transnistrian conflict and the impact that EU-Moldova and EU-Ukraine Agreements could have on its resolution. The experts expressed their worries concerning the worsening of the situation in the Security Zone and increasing attempts of the authorities in Tiraspol to destabilize the status-quo, threatening the situation in the entire region. Finally, the policy study made recommendations for authorities in Moldova and Ukraine, but also for EU policy and decision-makers, on how to deal with the challenges of the Russian pressure on the EaP countries and how to respond to them. Priority 2: STRONGER ADHERENCE TO EUROPEAN VALUES Due to the openness of European and international organizations to supporting Moldova s reform agenda, the Moldovan authorities continued to focus their efforts on ensuring the implementation of democratic practices, initiating a complex process of restructuring and increasing the efficiency of its institutions. From that perspective, the Program contributed to this process by supporting initiatives that helped the Moldovan expert community to get access to the relevant experience of Georgia, as a distinguished example in the post-soviet space in undertaking considerable reforms. Particularly, such problematic fields as transparency and need for reforming the public sector as a prerequisite for successful transformation and as the most vulnerable link in ensuring the transparency of the governance process were addressed during the visit of Georgian counterparts to Moldova. Another pressing issue referred to Moldova s future development vector that rather often is questioned by various opinion-makers or interest groups within the Moldovan society in an attempt to jeopardize the socio-political context or destabilize the information flow. Therefore, the idea of developing an initiative with our Kazakh counterparts came as a result of discussions held within the expert community, but also based on the challenges of the current social and political situation in the Moldovan society. This was an invitation for a greater involvement of the Moldovan civil society in promoting the advantages of the 21

22 European choice in conditions when the entire society is divided by different geo-political options concerning its future development. This initiative served as an opportunity for acquainting the Moldovan public and expert community with the social, economic and political situation in Kazakhstan, as a member of the Customs Union that managed to gain some valuable experience from that membership. In this way, the Moldovan experts had the opportunity to learn about the social processes developing in Kazakhstan and with challenges and demands faced by the country. The study visit of Kazakh experts to Moldova, joined by experts from EaP (Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia) and Western Balkan countries (Macedonia) allowed them become familiar with the current stage of developments in Moldova. They also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the Eurasian concept emerging in the post-soviet space. The discussions held at the final conference highlighted the challenges of the current developments in the post-soviet space, focusing public attention on reforms that should be carried out in order to improve standards of life of people, strengthen legal framework and initiate policies that will ensure development at different levels. At the same time, they stated a need for a deeper exchange of views and experiences over the integrationist options and reflections on their possible impact on EaP countries. Key Events in 2013 Implementation of Anti-Corruption Policies: Engaging Civil Society in Policy-Making (implemented by Transparency International - Moldova, Transparency International - Georgia and Oziveni Civic form the Czech Republic) Challenges of the Public Sector in the Process of EU Approximation (implemented by IDEA Institute from Moldova and Georgian Foundation for Strategic International Studies) Centrifugal and Centripetal Trends in the Post-Soviet Space: Stance towards Sustainable Development (implemented by Business Consulting Institute from Moldova and Mir Evrazii Public Foundation from Kazakhstan) Challenges of Labor Migration in the Post-Soviet Countries (implemented by Institute of Management, Administration and Public Policy from Moldova andspin PLUS from Tajikistan) Priority 3: ENCOURAGING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION Existing barriers in engaging citizens in the process of society democratization, lack of access to information of interest for people from marginalized communities, insufficient awareness on participatory opportunities, lack of experience in developing public and advocacy campaigns, etc. continued to be on the program agenda. By developing strategies to influence the decision-making process through civic participation and active involvement in social life, the Moldovan civil society had the opportunity to become more attractive for other countries from the region that are still at the initial stage of their democratization process such as Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan. It is well known that transformations at local level could motivate people to contribute to community and regional development. Therefore, the Moldovan society s experience in involving citizens in decision-making was considered valuable to be shared with former counterparts. An innovative initiative was launched with Program support, aimed at addressing public space issues through a postmodernist perspective, seen as a space for expression of public opinion and citizens preoccupations, reflecting their wishes, needs and concerns. The project was implemented by young artists and researchers in search for new values and creative expression of ideas that could bring change into communities that still carry post-soviet signs, affecting people mostly at the mentality level, thus reinforcing stereotypes and prejudices within communities. For a better understanding of the public space transformations, the project organizers engaged in studying these issues in several post-socialist cities, organizing practical site-visits to Yerevan, Kyiv, Tbilisi and Chișinău. This allowed them come in contact with various social actors such as local authorities, NGOs, citizens initiative groups, etc. Among the project outcomes, the most relevant was that local authorities from participating countries became more open to people s needs and interests. In this way, local decision-makers were empowered to have a more responsible behavior towards their citizens. In addition, as a result of this initiative, a regional platform for managing public spaces with the contribution of civil society was established successfully. 22

23 Key Events in 2013 Ensuring the Public Space for Citizens: Innovation and Inclusion (implemented by Oberliht Young Artists from Moldova, Utopiana.am, Armenia, Foundation Center for Contemporary Art, Ukraine; GeoAIR, Georgia; Oikodrom Vienna Institute for Urban Sustainability) Sustainable Models of Local Social and Economic Development (implemented by Urban Development Institute from Moldova and Center for Legal and Analytical Support of Local Self- Government from Kyrgyzstan) Priority 4: STRENGTHENING SOCIAL COHESION AND INTEGRATION TRENDS THROUGH BUILDING TOLERANCE, UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE The Moldovan society is still in the process of searching appropriate opportunities for ensuring confidence and social cohesion, indispensable for building a democratic society. Therefore, bridging divided communities separated along several lines social, political, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic, etc. continued to be among the program s priorities. The attempts made by authorities to integrate national minorities and ethnic groups into the Moldovan society proved to be inefficient. They still feel frustrated and marginalized and as a result, are exposed to various manipulations. From that perspective, access to the experience gained by Latvia and Estonia regarding minorities integration through different tools, specifically through the development of a sound education policy, open to various segments of the population, proved to be extremely useful. The experience gained by Moldovan experts through study visits to these countries, but also the expertise and knowledge of the Latvian and Estonian counterparts, delivered to specifically targeted audiences from Chișinău and Comrat, served as a great opportunity for empowering the civil society and influencing the decision/policy-makers to improve current public policies. The Moldovan authorities received an incentive for developing a new vision/strategy for involving Moldovan minorities into the process of building good governance, offering a valuable leverage for facilitating their inclusion in public life through educational means. As a result of this project, the Moldovan Ministry of Education is developing several initiatives focused on the improvement of language teaching in minority schools, so that non-native speakers gain a better environment for their integration into the Moldovan society. Offering access of regional experts to the experience of Moldovan civil society organizations engaged in reforming social protection and assistance, particularly in the area of integration into the society of socially disabled people, was the main focus of another relevant initiative. It was a valuable experience for our counterparts from EaP countries and Kazakhstan that are at the initial state of development of their own social protection systems, with a special focus on inclusion of disabled people through deinstitutionalization and prevention means. This initiative served as an opportunity for decision/policymakers and civil society representatives from participating countries to get in touch through an innovative approach with issues of common concern and learn from the Moldovan partners how to implement in practice the changes that the field requires. The discussions held during site-visits to Orhei and Ialoveni districts and the final conference brought to experts attention the challenges of the current situation with the protection of persons with intellectual disabilities and difficulties faced at central and local levels in the post-soviet countries. It is worth mentioning that this project helped the participants identify ways for overcoming deficiencies, highlighting the need for relevant strategies to be adopted by the society to contribute to diminishing stereotypes and misperceptions. Key Events in 2013 The Role of Education in Multi-Cultural Societies: Lessons Learned (implemented by Pro Didactica Educational Center from Moldova) Deinstitutionalization Opportunities for Social Inclusion of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in EaP Countries(implemented by Keystone Human Services International Moldova ) 23

24 Public Presentation of the 2013 European IntegrationIndex for the EaP Countries Report Chișinău, October 3 This presentation was organized by IDIS-Viitorul Institute for Development and Social Initiatives in collaboration with the EEBB Program of the Soros Foundation-Moldova. The project continued the initiative that started in 2010, aimed at stimulating competition among the Eastern Partnership countries and, as a result, a better reform process and assistance in implementing the more for more principle. To this end, the initiative provided to civil society of EaP countries an advocacy tool and to EU institutions - an independent and objective assessment of the state of reforms in EaP countries in the form of a European Integration Index for EaP Countries. This report was drafted by a team of international experts from Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Germany and Ukraine. The official presentation in Brussels of the 2013 EaP Index was followed by public presentations in Chișinău, Kyiv and Tbilisi. It reflected the progress registered by the EaP countries in their integration efforts on EU approximation, analyzed through a comparative perspective. The public presentation in Chișinău was held on the eve of the EaP Civil Society Forum organized by the IDIS-Viitorul NGO. The discussion was conducted by co-authors of the report from Moldova, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine, bringing together about 50 Moldovan participants, representatives of decision/policy-makers, expert community and civil society. It facilitated an exchange of opinions concerning the successes and challenges faced by EaP countries and raised a lively discussion on the content of reforms that are under way. 24

25 CULTURAL POLICY PROGRAM Priority 1: TRIO RURAL CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT HUB, MOLDOVA This project was implemented in partnership with the European Cultural Foundation, based in Amsterdam, and was funded by the European Cultural Foundation, the Arts and Culture Program of the Open Society Foundations in Budapest, and the Soros Foundation-Moldova. The project implementation period was from October 2011 to December The project aimed to develop a set of instruments and mechanisms for the establishment of Centers of Excellence for local (rural) cultural development, which could become examples of good practice, and to help increase the potential of community cultural leaders. The aims as identified in the project proposal were achieved to a large extent. An important number of rural TRIO teams (about 60), consisting of heads of Cultural Houses, NGO representatives and local public administrations participated in the project. Throughout 2012, members of 12 trios, selected based on a public competition drew cultural resources maps of the communities they represented. In 2013, seven trios were awarded grants to implement their community projects. They became a developmental example for other districts in Moldova, albeit in their own unique way, and established themselves as actors of long-term culture-based rural development. The rural countryside is confronted with various difficulties such as a shortage in funds and human resources, intensified by the overall harsh economic situation in the Republic of Moldova. The trainings in fundraising, networking and cooperation provided in the framework of this project helped them find new opportunities. Although the guidelines for a successful project were clearly outlined in the call for proposals, they had to be further explained throughout the project. It appeared that most trios were not familiar with the general requirements of international donors. Concepts such as sustainability, community development or modernization of a cultural offer were not familiar to them. Within a limited period, each trio needed to understand these concepts before they could develop a project worthy of financial support. The study visit to UK organized in 2013 offered us a valuable opportunity to show the trios in real life the role culture can play in building communities. We should acknowledge however that a longer-term capacity building was needed for the Moldovan rural countryside to raise their capacities. During the first year of the project, 12 trios mapped their most important cultural resources and had several meetings with their local communities. Based on this research, the trios made a project proposal, which according to them met the needs of their communities. In addition, a sociological bureau analyzed the trios position in their communities. Based on this information and observations during the trainings, eight trios were selected whose project proposals had the greatest potential. Their project proposals were to be further elaborated during the final phase of the project with the help of international trainers and local consultants. The most successful projects received grants of 6000 Euros each to match the contribution of Euros of local administrations. All local administrations committed to support the trios. Their contribution was mostly spent on the renovation of cultural houses, whereas the international donors grant was spent for community and project purposes. The project development phase kicked off during February 10-15, 2013, with a trio seminar and consultancy. Based on the Trio grant portfolio, a first recommendation on further project development was made by the European Cultural Foundation and was further developed with local partners and trainers 25

26 contribution. After the February seminar, the trios went back to their communities to develop the projects for final consideration by the committee beginning with May A study visit to the UK in May served as a last moment of inspiration. The study visit offered the opportunity the trios needed to open up their eyes to new possibilities, the new roles of culture in communities and new ways of working. One of the trios even decided to drastically change their project proposal and wanted to focus on filmmaking for young people in the city of Rezina. After the UK study visit, 7 trios handed in their final proposals (Rezina, Hârjauca Călăraşi, Bravicea Călăraşi, Mereni Anenii- Noi, Băhrinesti Floreşti, or.durleşti, Gaidar Ceadâr-Lunga, Gagauz- Yeri Autonomy). 7 trios signed grant agreements of Euro in the summer of 2013 and projects were implemented by December This project was designed to contribute to the sustainability of Moldovan organizations, which is hampered by several factors. There is a great shortage in human resources and availability of funds for the cultural sector in Moldova. Further fundraising activities need to be started to sustain the development. We hope that the trios will make use of the knowledge they have received to develop new activities, set up new cooperation forms and attract new funds. There is a strong need to continue fundraising efforts to start a longer-term process to keep building the capacities in rural Moldova. The Trio Moldova Project marks the end of the European Cultural Foundation s involvement in Moldova since The long-term capacity building program has had many results, which have provided for a ground to build on. 26

27 MEDIA PROGRAM Vision: Moldova a country with a free informational market viewed not only as a general-human value, but also as an essential tool for social and economic progress. Context: During 2013, the Media Program addressed the main challenges the media sector in Moldova is currently facing. Unfortunately, 2013 did not bring any significant change in the Moldovan media. The media market continued to develop at the same pace as during the previous year, facing the already traditional problems in the legal framework, lack of financial independence and a slow pace of reforms at the Teleradio-Moldova public broadcaster. The implementation of the government program for did not register a significant progress and as a result, the problems mentioned in the program remained unsolved, including the reform of the Teleradio-Moldova Company, privatization of the press, and demonopolization of the media market by revealing the owners and funders of media outlets and by establishing a legal framework in this regard. The public broadcasting service (PBS) institutional reforms developed at a slower pace than it was announced earlier by its management. Its funding model based on direct subsidy remained a potential loophole for political interference. By the end of 2012, the phenomenon of media monopolies and concentration became more obvious and in 2013, it affected the quality of journalistic products offered by the media. The true owners of media outlets remained unknown officially, which favored the lack of pluralism and media monopolies. The lack of transparency related to digital transition due in June 2015 was still a big challenge and there was no confidence that the steps made in the transition to digital terrestrial television were correct. The governance made limited progress in the written media sector as well, in particular in reorganizing or privatizing about 40 state-owned local newspapers. Private media remained highly dependent on financial subsidies and advertising revenue from affiliated businesses and political groups rather than on market-driven advertising and circulation revenue. Economic pressure continued to force media outlets to cut costs and intensified the shift from print to online operations. Unfortunately, the processes of press destatization, media market demonopolization, and advertising market regulation processes were postponed. In the separatist Transnistria region, media outlets are highly restricted and politicized. Most of the local broadcast media are controlled by the Transnistrian authorities in the self-declared capital of Tiraspol. Media pluralism is extremely limited, as any critical information regarding the authorities is promptly suppressed and journalists are harassed, resulting in pervasive self-censorship. In response to these major challenges, in 2013 the Media Program focused its efforts on enhancing the regulatory operating framework of both electronic and written media, providing support for the Teleradio- Moldova s internal reforms as well as a balanced reporting, gradually building audience trust and higher ratings. Experts particularly pointed out the improvement of the internal regulatory framework ensuring a proper management of the Teleradio-Moldova and contributing to the strengthening of its autonomy, along with program quality enhancement and the implementation of democratic standards specific for public broadcasting services. The SFM activities were also focused on the development of the legal framework in the area of digitization, which would provide for fair and transparent competition principles in digital multiplex and frequency spectrum licensing, advocating for rules that are clear to all actors involved and for optimum technical standards, demanding the independence of institutions responsible for ensuring the digitization. Public debates focused on the above mentioned goals were held in partnership with other media institutions and associations and were based on a wide participation of field stakeholders, dedicated to the assessment of regional broadcasters prospects as a result of the digitization program implementation (October 2013). The organizers of these events conveyed a clear message regarding the necessity for developing a digitization framework that would ensure an adequate information of citizens through pluralist media resources and a diverse media content. This requires an appropriate legal framework, transparent actions, avoidance of monopolies, equal rules for all involved actors, including regional broadcasters. Impressive results were achieved in the area of regional electronic media and cooperation among journalists from the two banks of the Nistru River. In this regard, the third stage began in the implementation of a multi-annual project dedicated to strengthening the regional broadcasters network, 27

28 with the financial support of the Swedish Government, OSF (Open Society Foundations) and Free Press Unlimited. The regional broadcasters network made significant steps towards ensuring its viability in the context of the forthcoming TV digitization. A change in the culture of television news management, increased sharing of resources and a more intensive cooperation between stations across the country, including the autonomous region of Gagauzia and Transnistria, were essential for the regional network s sustainability and represented the Program s major success. The regional stations succeeded in developing a better network communication through a common website. We also encouraged and supported media institutions from rural communities in their commitment to quality programs, in particular the quality of the news programs produced by the network members. Priority 1:BUILDING THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE The reform of the Teleradio-Moldova Company carried out in the framework of the Company s reorganization plan The Strategic Development of Teleradio-Moldova for was in the spotlight of the Media Program in The Media Program offered the Company continuous support during the complex and challenging process of editorial and institutional reforms, aimed at transforming the Teleradio-Moldova IPNA into a truly public service -- a democratic, modern, efficient and viable media institution. In accomplishing this mission, the program faced several challenges, including the multitude of aspects that required intervention, as well as a certain inertia inherent in the process of reorganizing a large institution. The program applied a complex approach in defining priorities, by covering the range of problems as wide as possible and making the intervention more tangible. To this end, the Foundation established a long-term partnership with the APEL in order to offer the Teleradio-Moldova IPNA in-depth assistance in strategic planning and at developing regulations and other kinds of documents necessary for the reform implementation. In 2013, TRM aimed to achieve a full institutional reform, to make use of an effective management in implementing the new organizational chart, job descriptions and the salary system, and to diversify funding sources, including by securing at least 15% of the budget with its own resources. It should be mentioned that the latter objective was also in the task specifications for 2012 along with the objective of promoting the idea of a subscription fee, which was missing in the specifications for In line with one of the institutional development objectives of the company envisioning the transition to a new payroll system, the project Monitoring the New Remuneration System within the Teleradio-Moldova Company as a Key Element in Ensuring Reforms, implemented by APEL during July 2013-January 2014, had its focus on implementing a new incentive-based salary system. In 2011, the Teleradio- Moldova management launched an initiative to replace the old remuneration system that was based on fee payment as an additional remuneration method of overtime, with a qualitative and quantitative criteria based system. The new remuneration system provides for the cancellation of fees, increase of the position salary and introduction of a bonus meant to stimulate professional performance. The new model of remuneration was initially meant to be implemented at first in 2011, afterwards in 2012, but the new system was postponed again, the main reason being the resistance encountered on behalf of a big number of employees. More than that, the management failed to appoint a new television director over a period of 8 months in 2012, and many other deadlines were also not met. Within this project, the APEL offered support to the public broadcaster through monitoring the reforms implementation process, making suggestions and recommendations mostly regarding the quality of the internal regulatory framework on the new remuneration system, as well as on the implementation of the provisions of the due regulatory framework. Basically, the implementation of the new remuneration system is the most important element in the course of reforms, but the most sensitive and vulnerable as well, due to the fact that for most employees the salary is the main incentive. Through the assistance offered by APEL to the Teleradio-Moldova s managers, the decision-making process on this issue can be facilitated and in the long run can increase the chances of the public company s reforms success. 28

29 Within another project managed by APEL with financial support from the foundation, all programs produced by the Teleradio-Moldova were constantly monitored, the monitoring results being presented and discussed in meetings of either the Supervisory Board or middle/senior management staff and production teams. APEL experts also monitored the operation of the Teleradio-Moldova departments/services, including the advertising and internal program monitoring departments. APEL monitored the pace of institutional reforms at Teleradio-Moldova as well and found out that the Company capitalized insufficiently on the time legally allowed for advertising, which couldn t contribute significantly to the diversification of funding sources and, implicitly, to strengthening the independence of Teleradio- Moldova. The issue of cooperation between the Teleradio-Moldova Company and independent audiovisual producers was on the Program s agenda as well. This issue was analyzed thoroughly during roundtables in which the importance of acquisition from independent producers was discussed, as well as the principles such a partnership is to be based on in order to ensure pluralism of ideas and diversity of the products broadcast by the public audiovisual. The assistance in the development of the regulation on program acquisition from private producers was followed by a grant in the amount of 30,060 USD offered to Teleradio-Moldova with the aim of establishing collaboration with independent institutions in this regard. Priority 2:ADJUSTING MEDIA LAW TO EUROPEAN STANDARDS SFM supported the implementation of Law # 221 of September 17, 2010, on Destatization of Public Periodicals by awarding a grant to the Independent Press to assist the government and local/regional public authorities in developing regulations needed for an effective enforcement of this law. The Law on Destatization of Public Periodicals was enacted in order to rule out the biased conditions and unfair competition in the field of written press and in order to create equal conditions for the development of media institutions, in accordance with the recommendations of the Resolution 1666 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2009) regarding the functioning of democratic institutions in Moldova. The Law provides that public periodicals must be destatalized through their reorganization into official monitors of the administrative units, privatization or liquidation. To ensure the success of these reforms, the Parliament established a deadline of 24 months from the publication date of the law, meaning February However, due to bureaucracy and departmental misunderstanding between different ministries and agencies, the deadline set out in the law was not met because the regulatory acts were not adjusted to the law in time and framework regulations necessary to the destatization process were not developed. API focused its efforts on the identification of problems that hindered the implementation of the law. The implementation team offered technical assistance to local authorities that were to destatalize public periodicals and to editorial teams of newspapers and magazines that were to be destatalized. During this process, the implementation team faced resistance and even sabotage of the law by certain ministerial civil servants, rayon authorities and members of local councils. Driven by the desire to maintain control over periodicals and continue to appropriate public resources based on the loyalty of journalists to the power, they delayed the process of practical implementation of the destatization, and the deadlines for the law implementation were exceeded considerably. These and other difficulties led to delays in the legislation improvement until July 2013, when the Parliament passed several amendments to the framework law that regulates the administration and destatization of public property. Due to the activities carried out in the framework of this project, the practical implementation of the Law on destatization of public periodicals was accelerated. API developed the regulations necessary for the law implementation, contributed to the development and promotion of the necessary amendments within the legal and regulatory framework, printed and disseminated a guideline containing information on the legal stages of the destatization process, offered assistance and consultancy to local public authorities and editorial offices that fell under the law. The project supported the practical implementation of the Law on destatization of public periodicals, which would have a beneficial impact on the consolidation of the media sector in Moldova, ensuring freedom of expression and media pluralism, developing a fair 29

30 competition in the field of press, stimulating attraction of investments and ensuring an efficient management of periodicals. At the same time, the implementation of the law would allow for equal access of periodicals to public financial resources. It would also offer new opportunities for local media development. SFM supported the implementation of another project developed by API: An Integration Effort and Joint Advocacy of Non-governmental Organizations in Ensuring a Real Progress in the Media Sector. Through this project, API aimed to assess the present situation in the development of necessary reforms in the media and establish a joint platform for experts and non-governmental organizations in order to advocate for the improvement of media legal framework in the Republic of Moldova. The governance that came to power in 2009 did not register much progress in meeting the commitments made in their activity programs. In 2010 certain important laws were passed and the necessary reforms in the field of media began, but in 2011 the reform process started to linger and the enactment of decisions was conditioned by political influence and different interests of the components of the governing coalition. Thus, the problems mentioned in governmental programs remain unsolved, including the reform of the public audiovisual, de-monopolization of the media market through revealing the owners and financers of media institutions, a preferential fiscal framework for media, etc. In the framework of this project, API and other non-governmental organizations active in the field ( of Electronic Press, Center for Independent Journalism) conducted the study Carrying out the Necessary Reforms in the Field of Media during : from Pledges to Deeds, which documents and assesses the way in which the government achieved its objectives for in the field of media. The study is to be published and publically presented in the spring of Afterwards, experts and media NGOs will plan joint advocacy activities in order to intensify public pressure on political decisions in the field of media and ensure their efficiency. The project was necessary for the consolidation of independent media in Moldova. Non-governmental media organizations are certain that their joint efforts can determine the Moldovan politicians to meet their commitments and undertake other reforms that are necessary for ensuring the development of independent media and for creating adequate economic and political conditions for the consolidation of freedom of expression and freedom of press. Priority 3:SUPPORTING LOCAL ELECTRONIC MEDIA OUTLETS IN THEIR DEDICATION TO QUALITY PROGRAMS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY During 2013, the Media Program continued the implementation of the third stage in the implementation of a multi-annual project launched in 2006 in partnership with the Government of Sweden, OSF (Open Society Foundations), and Free Press Unlimited, aimed at consolidating the regional radio broadcasters network. The project aims to build the capacity of independent regional media for delivering to the rural population objective, unbiased and reliable information on the complex democratic development issues of the country. The regional broadcasters network was supported on multiple levels, taking into consideration its vulnerable situation from the financial point of view, its limited access to the advertising market, lack of professional journalists and qualified managers. The year 2013 was marked by intense preparations for identifying a more efficient and more coordinated collaboration model across the network and launching the online and cable broadcast of the joint regional channel. SFM organized 10 Regional Broadcasters s (RBA) meetings aimed at making important decisions and identifying solutions to project challenges. Consultations with experts, trainings, piloting different mechanisms in the network, including a Central Production Hub, monitoring and evaluation, diversifying programs and other activities, the RBA, supported by the project and in some aspects by other SFM partners including Free Press Unlimited, succeeded in putting in place and implementing an effective cooperation model which would definitely lay the foundation for a joint regional channel the RBA plans to launch. The joint regional channel is a unique concept for the Republic of Moldova and is a rare phenomenon in other parts of the world. Although it is not uncommon for the media to collaborate, a joint regional channel established by a network of 14 independent regional TV stations with members from breakaway territories, is an admirable challenge. 30

31 The project simultaneously explores multiple modes of action to achieve its purpose: train regional broadcasters in covering complex public topics, provide in-house and online technical assistance to regional broadcasters in producing programming on targeted issues, train regional broadcasters in using social media and other web tools to address community development and public issues, consolidate cooperation between regional broadcasters, including Transnistria. One of the training courses held in March 2013 was organized for the journalists and camera operators from regional TV stations on program production and planning. The training sessions were conducted by one local and two international trainers from the Netherlands: Jack KROES and Serghei LATISHEV, provided within the Free Press Unlimited (FPU) SFM partnership. Regional stations continued to diversify and develop their programming by cooperating with NGOs and making their joint media product more relevant for the audiences from both banks of the Nistru River. This last aspect fostered a closer cooperation and trust between the Transnistrian and other Moldovan media. The monitoring reports proved that stations from Transnistria were actively contributing within the new cooperation model and shared the vision of a unique integrated product broadcasted through air, online and cable. In November, within another consultancy/training session, the regional stations directors, together with Yevhen HLIBOVYTSYY, a highly experienced trainer and media consultant, addressed the concept of the Regional Channel with an online broadcasting and common TV schedule, including the issue of its sustainability. Within the cooperation with Free Press Unlimited, the RBA benefited from an additional consultancy session provided by Jack KROES in December. Together with regional stations owners, he addressed the business aspects of the Regional Channel, as a competitor on the media market as well as the editorial policy of the channel. The RBA was rendered support in self-management capacity building, which allows for the adjustment of the form of program presentation and homogenization of technical parameters of the broadcast; capitalization of the advertising market for common interest; mutual exchange and transfer of experience; coordination of activities aimed to develop the regional audiovisual sector; consolidation of a central production unit that coordinates and joins the efforts of regional stations in launching joint audiovisual products. A joint network program grid was developed and broadcast both on-air at regional level, and online on canalregional.md. The online broadcast was also used as a preparatory stage for cable broadcast. A great emphasis was also put on diversification of programming offered to the audience and a complex and competent approach to subjects of community and public interest. The practice to involve NGOs in regional stations programming for added relevance and consistency continued in Initially starting with news, regional stations continued to involve NGOs in shows as well. During the year, RBA members produced shows independently and in partnership with the Central Studio in duplex shows on various topics including corruption, domestic violence especially toward women, protection of the rights of people with disabilities, preventing lethal consequences related to youth crisis, HIV/AIDS prevention; healthy lifestyle among youth and others. During the first half of 2013, the number of news produced in cooperation with NGOs reached 140 and by the end of December The support given by the Government of Sweden through the SFM Media Program made it possible not only to expand the network by permanently attracting new project participants and subsequently engaging them in programs exchange, but also to enhance the production capacity in generating quality programs on topics of public and community interest. 31

32 Priority 4:STRENGTHENING CONFIDENCE BETWEEN CITIZENS FROM THE TWO BANKS OF THE NISTRU RIVER THROUGH COOPERATION OF INDEPENDENT PRESS INSTITUTIONS The overall situation regarding the freedom of expression in the media in Transnistria is disappointing. By late 2012, a clear opinion was formed that the new unrecognized government had set even tougher limits on freedom of expression and equal access to information. They sought to establish a total control over the media, social networks, and Internet portals dedicated to sharing opinions. There are still very few newspapers from Moldova in Transnistria. As for broadcasting, Transnistria removed Moldovan TV stations from the viewing grid: Publika TV ceased to be aired on November 1, and Moldova 1 stopped its broadcast on December 1, 2012, thus depriving Transnistrian residents of the opportunity to learn about events in Moldova via television. This fact, however, does not prevent Transnistrians from finding news from the right bank on the Internet. In this context, a systematic partnership established with Transnistrian media outlets in the framework of the program, financially supported by the Swedish Government and implemented by the Media Program, is one of the most valuable achievements. The Transnistrian partners for this project were two web TV outlets - Dnestr TV (Bender) and Lik TV (Rîbniţa), which became members of the regional broadcasters network and then of the Regional Broadcasters. The program has gone through several stages from its launch in In 2013, due to the financial support granted to our partners from Transnistria, they consolidated their Internet TV production studios, gradually transitioning to online broadcasting to be able to finally implement online television. The Transnistrian partners were actively involved in network meetings and decision-making focused on the consolidation process, development of strategies and tactics for the future, programming exchange among the members of the network and in the experience transfer activities. Considering that an increased emphasis on network sustainability raised more challenges and debates among its members, the input of the Transnistrian members concerning a common TV schedule, sharing responsibilities and identifying models for cooperation was highly important. The director of the DnestrTV continued to act as one of the members of the RBA advisory board, which shows a great trust between stations from both banks of the Nistru River. It was for the first time that a stable and efficient cooperation was established with the participation of journalists from both sides of the Nistru. The project ensured a day-by-day continuous collaboration and communication in developing a joint informational product of critical interest to the citizens countrywide. At different stages of the project, the partners from Transnistria were actively involved in the implementation of the training program, implementation of the civic journalism, and consolidation of the professional association of regional broadcasters. When developing the network joint TV program schedule, the Regional Broadcasters encouraged a more efficient collaboration with Transnistrian stations because their news items were preferred by the network members. The Transnistrian stations offered news from the left bank of the Nistru River and took over those from the right bank, enabling an information flow between both banks. Moreover, they collaborated multiple times with other Moldovan stations in producing relevant shows and promoting collaboration between both banks of the Nistru River. In frequent periods of high political tension between the authorities from Chişinău and Tiraspol, of particular importance were the reports from Transnistria. Transnistrian members were viewed by the RBA as an important asset and a competitive advantage of the joint regional channel over other national media outlets. The professional skills of the journalists from Transnistria and the cooperation of the journalists from the two sides of Nistru River were strengthened in the framework of multiple training and consultancy 32

33 activities and network meetings focused on the results of the monitoring and assessment of media products. Because the integrated news bulletin was a common product of all network members and was broadcast in all Moldovan regions, including Transnistria and Gagauzia, the bulletin was to be relevant for all of them. Therefore, the integrated news bulletins included reports on daily life issues of people from both banks of the Nistru River. This was a common effort of the regional stations responsible for selecting the news reports for integrated news bulletins and regional stations that produced such topics. As a result, the stations from Transnistria that were partners in the projects, rallied to the standards set out within the network and increased their presence on the Moldovan media market and within the Transnistrian audience. The noticeable increase in number of news/subjects produced by the partners from Transnistria and the visitors of the respective TV websites was an excellent indicator of the project results. Thus, the news and subjects produced by Dnestr TV had about 166,363 visualizations in December 2013 on the website of Dnestr TV and about 162,774 on YouTube. Another relevant result was that 376 TV subjects produced by the 2 TV stations from Transnistria participating in the project in 2013 were included in the integrated news journals of the regional broadcasters (376 subjects is about 10.85% of the total number of subjects included in the integrated newsletters of the network, or, in other words, about 11 out of 100 subjects included in the newsletters were taken over from the colleagues from Transnistria). During the reported period, 1419 programs were broadcast in Transnistria produced by Moldovan stations and 691 programs produced by Transnistrian stations were broadcast in Moldova. The reaction of the audience concerning the inclusion of Transnistrian news in the regional network news bulletin was generally positive. Transnistrian stations proved a high level of commitment to the Moldovan regional TV network development objectives even though both stations had and still have their challenges. 33

34 GOOD GOVERNANCE PROGRAM Vision: Increased transparency, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency of the government at central and local level in alignment with European standards Context: In order to promote the transparency and accountability of the government, in 2013, the Good Governance Program (GGP) continued to support civil society in its efforts to monitor the actions and reforms of the government in key-fields. It also supported policy research to offer authorities an independent expertise and to raise awareness on various issues of particular social importance. The GGP initiatives and activities focused on such fields as public finances, fighting corruption, ensuring integrity and European integration agenda. In view of promoting budget transparency and public control, the Program continued to support the multiannual project implemented by the Expert-Grup think tank. Thus, the basis for an accountability framework in the budgetary field, as well as for enabling civil society organizations and activists to get actively involved in the decision-making process regarding the budgetary policy was established. Following several events and public consultations on key budget documents, some proposals made by NGOs were included in the final documents, such as the removal of the provisions regarding professional activities and other provisions included in the 2014 bill on Fiscal and Customs Policy that would have created significant problems to the business environment. The technical recommendations made for each budgetary stage to increase budget transparency are used by the Expert-Grup, other non-governmental actors, the Court of Accounts, to promote changes at the level of each actor responsible for budgetary transparency. A dialogue with the Ministry of Finance was initiated by the Expert-Grup to implement a Citizens Budget, as well as other good practices in the budgetary process (on disclosure of risks, liabilities, property use, etc.), and its role in the development of budgetary transparency (policy development, legislative proposals promoted by the Government, etc.). Two new web portals were launched at the initiative of GGP and with its support. In a short while, both websites became popular and articles from these portals are often republished by other news websites. The web portal, implemented by the Expert-Grup is the only interactive tool from Moldova, which facilitates a better understanding of the public budget by citizens through a userfriendly graphic presentation of public expenditures. Using infographics to inform people about the budget, expenditures and incomes, turned to be one of the most efficient methods to outreach citizens. The audience was informed about how much the Parliament costs us, what for, to whom and where the subsidies in agriculture were allocated, about the expenditures and results in education, about how the money for health is spent, and about how much the public servants cost us. tackles subjects related to the integrity of officials and public servants by interviewing experts and authorities in the field, conducting investigations, and monitoring the work of the National Commission for Integrity (NCI). The website is a significant source on the NCI activity, given the institution s poor external communication. Some journalists admitted that the website is the only source where they can find the NCI meeting agenda. The web portal s activity is appreciated by the NCI as well. Anatolie DONCIU, the President 34

35 of the Commission, mentioned that most of the intimations coming from the media were based on the site, and that the debates organized by the portal helped to improve the NCI s activity. During April 2013 February 2014, the Commission apprised of 14 cases on infringement of the legal regime of the conflict of interests of some public servants. In five of those cases, the Commission identified contraventions and requested the revocation of public servants from office. To bring into public debate the issues of high social importance and to enhance the government s capacity to respond to Moldova s current challenges by formulating coherent and realistic policies, the Program supported a series of independent policy research studies. At the request of the Ministry of Education, the Program supported three independent studies offering expertise on the following topics: organization of the final high school exams (BAC), the phenomenon of informal payments in high schools, and research capacities of higher education institutions. The Program continued to support periodic monitoring of the EU-Moldova relations within the Eastern Partnership through a joint grant to ADEPT and Expert-Grup NGOs. The monitoring reports and the site launched within the project offered internal and external audiences information on the main progresses and shortcomings in the implementation of the European integration agenda. In the field of corruption prevention, Transparency International-Moldova and the Centre for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption supported by the Program continued the monitoring of the implementation of anti-corruption policies in 20 central public authorities. The monitoring was conducted simultaneously with information sessions for authorities on the implementation of legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the development of legal analysis of regulatory documents. The Program also supported a series of media investigations on the integrity of judges and high officials and management of public funds conducted by the Center for Investigative Journalism. Priority 1: TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY How has the Republic of Moldova respected the commitments made within the Open Government partnership? How effective are the current policies to ensure a transparent and accountable government? How does the process of opening government data work and how useful are these data for the society? These are the main issues tackled in a new project launched in 2013, supported by the Soros Foundation-Moldova/Good Governance Program, and implemented by the Center for Independent Journalism and the for Participatory Democracy ADEPT. In the context of Moldova s accession to the Global Open Government Partnership, the partner organizations monitored and evaluated the process of opening the government data and the implementation of the Open Government Action Plan for approved in April The reports on the implementation of the actions envisaged for 2012 were presented in the summer of A group of journalists was trained on how to use open data in their research and to obtain the content necessary for promoting accountability and public interest. The evaluation report stated that the degree of the Open Government Action Plan implementation (during the period of ) reached 53 percent. The report offered a comprehensive analysis of the achievement of planned activities and commitments that the Republic of Moldova undertook within the Open Government Partnership. The main conclusion was that despite certain progress achieved in the implementation of the Open Government Action Plan, the process of open government implementation plan was difficult. The main causes of the moderate implementation of the Plan were insufficient mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the implementation of the planned activities, poorly trained human resources in ministries, as well as ministries partial awareness of the importance of the open government initiative. To better inform the public about the progress and failures in strengthening the open government, the Project team created an infographic How open is the Government of the Republic of Moldova? based on the evaluation reports. The infographic for the year 2012 was featured in an exhibition of countries that participated in the London Open Government Partnership Annual Summit, held during October 31 November 1,

36 The project activities contributed to promoting the importance of the open government and open data concept, especially among journalists. According to the evaluation report on the opening of public government data developed by the IJC, in 2013, 47% of respondents among journalists and civil society activists said that they used the data opened on site for preparing articles, studies, etc., compared to just 28% in the period of April 2011 May The percentage of those who found the data useful raised from 47% in May 2013 to 71% in January The project contributed to making the authorities more responsible for their commitments to open public datasets. According to the aforementioned report, which ranked the best performing authorities in opening datasets in the period of April 2011-May 2013 and the leaders for 2013, two institutions remained in the top 5 the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The other four leaders, according to the previous report, reached the bottom of the ranking list (the Licensing Chamber, the State Tax Service, the Ministry of Transport and Road Infrastructure, and the Customs Service), being overrun by other frontrunners. Priority 2: EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT We launched three independent analyses in 2013, ordered and funded by the Program at the request of the Ministry of Education in the context of broader reforms initiated in the educational system. The studies offered an independent expertise on three sensitive topics related to the organization of the final high school exams, the phenomenon of informal payments in high schools, and research capacities in higher education institutions. The qualitative research of opinions, attitudes and perceptions of social actors on the level of compliance of the tests content with the subject-matter curriculum (2012 and 2013 sessions), and the barriers and challenges that impede a proper organization of the final high school exams was developed by Magenta Consulting under the methodological guidance of the Ministry of Education. The study was launched on May 24 during a press conference organized by the Ministry of Education. The study showed the perception of social actors of the process of organizing final high school exams, its problems, and offered conclusions and recommendations. The issue was largely discussed in the media, being the subject of thematic TV talk shows. This research contributed to the development of recommendations that served as a starting point for public debates on the organization of final high school exams for the 2013 session. The survey results served also as basis for introducing changes in the organization of exams in The measures taken by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Moldova targeted countering corruption during exams, as well as the phenomenon of plagiarism. The actions of the Ministry were supported and welcomed by a part of the society, but were also largely criticized, thus confirming the study results. The low level of graduation after the final exams in 2013 showed the effectiveness of the measures undertaken by the Ministry of Education, based also on the conclusions of this study. The formal and informal payments paid by parents in schools study developed by the Institute for Public Policies, aimed to identify parents motivation to make formal/informal payments in schools, the payments conditions and the funds management, and also to make recommendations that would enhance the transparency of this phenomenon. The study was launched during an event organized by the Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Education on December 6, The study results were largely covered in media, thus initiating public debates on this subject. This analysis contributed to the transparency of the collection of payments in schools. The research revealed the extent of this phenomenon and the causes that led to it. In reply to the assessments and study recommendations, the Ministry of Education and UNDP-Moldova presented a new project aimed at involving students from several localities in finding innovative solutions to ensure the transparency of 36

37 education in schools. The importance of this study was also mentioned in a press conference conducted by the Deputy Director of the National Anti-Corruption Center on the occasion of an investigation regarding the collection of payments in a school from the capital. The study contributed also to the initiation of several investigations and preventive measures to counter this phenomenon. The study findings and recommendations will serve to formulate a government policy in addressing the phenomenon of payments made by parents in schools. However, carrying out bolder reforms for transparency and using money paid by parents efficiently, will depend on the favorable/unfavorable political context, as it remains a sensitive issue for the population. The study assessing the research capacities in higher education institutions, developed by Catalactica (Romania), raised another sensitive issue for the educational system. Even if the development of research, especially the applied one, in universities is necessary in the process of modernizing the country, but also a commitment within the Bologna Process, it was left without a proper attention from the state. One of the main failures of the Bologna Process implementation was that it did not succeed in establishing the research in universities as the third cycle in the higher education institutions system. According to the study, the scientific research was conducting outside of universities, as a legacy of the Soviet period. Poor representation of universities in national and international scientific projects and their focus on the process of education decreased the research capabilities of the academia. Authors came with several recommendations, including for the new Educational Code draft project. The study was presented at a roundtable on February 27, 2014, with the participation of the representatives of the Ministry of Education and universities. The experts findings generated discussions; however, they were mostly supported by the representatives of the Ministry and the academia. The analysis will serve as basis in strengthening research in higher education institutions. 37

38 JUSTICE PROGRAM Vision: The Program promotes legal reforms based on human rights, legal accountability, social inclusion and good governance. Context: Several major events took place in the country during the reporting period. The Moldovan Government advanced the implementation of the Justice Sector Reform Strategy ( ). In 2013, the Republic of Moldova made a decisive step in reforming police institutions in compliance with European standards. The Ministry of Internal Affairs Reform started by enacting the new law on Police and the status of police officers (Law # 320 entered into force in March 2013), thus the Ministry s duties were separated from the duties of the Police. Notable achievements in the structure, functioning and efficiency were registered. However, there are still risks associated with the lack of a comprehensive reform strategy, an action plan, risk analysis, progress indicators, and, the most important, an adequate budget and financial resources. In November 2013, the process of drafting the Concept of the Prosecutor s Office Reform was finalized by the Joint Working Group composed of the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General s Office representatives and was sent to the Parliament for review and subsequent approval. The Concept provides for reforming the Moldovan prosecution service by reconsidering the structure and responsibilities of this institution and adjusting its current legislative framework to European standards. The reform of the investigative judge institution launched in 2012 faced certain challenges. On February 12, 2013, the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) adopted new rules on procedures and requirements for investigative judges evaluation and reconfirmation. However, the SCM Rules do not provide for a clear mechanism of reconfirming investigative judges as common jurisdiction trial judges and they do not cover the procedure for appointing new investigative judges. This situation may entail the risk of reappointing the current investigative judges in the same position, without a clear and transparent mechanism of evaluating their performance. In 2013 the Program continued to address three strategic priorities, according to its strategy for , as follows: Increasing Access to Justice for the Poor; Improving Fairness and Accountability of the Criminal Justice System; and Enhancing Respect for Civil Rights in Moldova. Under its first strategic priority, the Program contributed to strengthening the administrative capacity of the National Council of State Legal Aid. The continuous advocacy efforts resulted in the application of quality standards for legal assistance and acquisition of services from a large number of lawyers, trainee lawyers and public defenders, thus extending the network in order to ensure the sustainability of the legal aid system. Community-based paralegals continued their activities aimed at contributing to the empowerment of rural community members to handle efficiently legal issues at the local level by organizing public lectures and delivering assistance in solving problems related to labor, inheritance, property or documentation. In April 2013, the Territorial Offices of the National Legal Aid Council started to procure services from paralegals. This allowed extending the network of paralegals supported by the Foundation. Launching the legal empowerment website the first online tool that explains the law in simple terms opened a new avenue for the population to access basic legal information. Under its second strategic priority, the Program contributed to improving judges and prosecutors capacities to adequately respect the human rights at the pre-trial stage. In that sense, Program experts developed and advocated for the adoption of the Explanatory Decision of the Supreme Court of Justice Plenum regarding the regulatory framework on preventive arrest and house arrest. In addition, based on 652 criminal cases files, a comprehensive analysis of arrest decisions issued by investigative judges was developed. As a result, the most problematic cases covering the infringement of the right to liberty and 38

39 security in light of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case law were identified. The Program worked closely with several national and international stakeholders, namely the Ministry of Justice (MJ), SCM, the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ). In cooperation with the NIJ, the Program organized interactive training courses, which involved mixed groups of judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers. These courses were based on case studies and simulations, including the interpretation of the SCJ s Plenum Explanatory Decision about how and when preventive detention should be applied. During the training, the ECtHR judgments entered in cases against Moldova were discussed and the Practical Guide on arrest was distributed to all participants. Under its third strategic priority, the Program advanced the civil society`s role in liaising with international human rights bodies by regularly submitting qualitative analytical reports on the human rights situation in the country. The Alternative Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was praised as one of the best ever produced documents of advocacy by the activists from Moldova. Strengthening the capacities of local NGOs on documenting and reporting the situation of torture and other ill-treatment brought back the subject of torture on the agenda of the government and civil society. Moreover, the right to protection against domestic violence was the thematic area of the grants awarded by the Program. These grants aimed at evaluating the status in this area and at creating effective mechanisms to protect the victims of domestic violence. Priority 1: INCREASING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR Quality of Legal Aid a Subject of National and Regional Interest In 2013, our efforts were directed towards enhancing the quality of legal assistance at the initial stages of the criminal process. Quality standards developed with the support of the Soros Foundation-Moldova and endorsed by the Union of Lawyers, formed the core of a cutting-edge training program which was attended by over 150 lawyers and trainees from Chișinău, Bălți, Cahul and other districts. The training program was designed to provide the participants with the full range of available tools and procedures during the arrest and detention of a person, thus ensuring an effective exercise of the right to a fair trial. The transfer of knowledge from public defenders to their colleagues had a direct impact on the development capacity of the trainee-lawyers, especially given that they were not entitled to participate in criminal proceedings. Tested and applied during eight training sessions, the methodology can be easily integrated into the training curriculum of lawyers from the legal aid system. Moreover, the ongoing promotion of the public defenders model determined the State National Legal Aid Council to extend the network to other parts of the country through increasing the number of public defenders in Chișinău and establishing public defenders positions within Territorial Offices. Regionally, a close cooperation within the Network of Legal Aid Reform (LARN) resulted in the development of regional standards for qualitative legal assistance. Based on the model implemented in Moldova, similar standards are promoted in Ukraine and Georgia. The promotion of these standards will help at standardizing the requirements for lawyers and at promoting the best practices on protection of clients. In light of the Program`s advocacy efforts, legal aid is currently not only on the agenda of the Justice Program, but also on other donor organizations present in the Moldova. Hence, the Government of Sweden, through its Agency for Development and Cooperation (Sida), continued to support the development of primary legal assistance mechanisms in the country through a network of communitybased paralegals. With the assistance of paralegals, the Program seeks to empower rural communities to efficiently handle legal issues at the local level. Community-based paralegals provided basic legal consultations to over 4,000 inhabitants from 30 villages. Approximately 1,300 people attended 56 public lectures that paralegals organized in order to explain the law and legal procedures in simple terms. The legal empowerment portal was created to increase people s access to information about their rights, obligations and opportunities offered by the legislation. The website contains practical 39

40 information and answers the most frequent questions of legal nature that people encounter on a daily basis. A video reflects the changes that paralegals make every day in rural communities. All the characters appearing in the video are real community members who share their stories through the lenses of legal empowerment. Recent developments in the legal aid system imposed the need to revise and further develop the legal framework that regulates this field. In this context, the National Legal Aid Council created several Working Groups responsible for updating the legal framework regulating the primary legal assistance. The Working Groups included representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, the National Legal Aid Council and the Program. The study visit to Great Britain, a country with extensive experience in primary legal aid delivery by non-lawyers, brought an added value to the activity of the WG. This effort will ultimately lead to improvement in the quality and coherence of the normative framework that the WG is going to develop. Key Achievements in 2013 Over 150 lawyers and trainees were trained in the application of performance standards in the initial stages of criminal investigation; Legal Aid standards were developed and promoted at the regional level; The network of community-based paralegals comprising 27 paralegals was consolidated and extended; The website was created in order to respond to the most frequent questions addressed by the beneficiaries of paralegals; A short documentary reflecting paralegals activity and its impact was presented to the public; A motivational video pointing out the main benefits of paralegals activity was broadcast on national radio and TV stations. Priority 2: IMPROVING THE FAIRNESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM Decisive Steps to a Better Observance of the Right to Liberty Our country is constantly convicted by the ECtHR for violation of the Right to Liberty and Security of Persons, especially because of a poor reasoning of arrest decisions issued by investigative judges. Although these decisions directly affect the liberty of persons, they are literally empty nutshells since they lack reasoning in an overwhelming number of cases. Therefore, they cannot produce legal consequences. It seems that the significance and the importance of reasoning, even if it represents the core of any judgment, was not sufficiently brought to the attention of Moldovan judges. In this regard, the Program implemented a set of initiatives focusing on abusive application of pretrial detention and the lack of reasoning in the arrest decisions. To this end, the Justice Program supported the activity of an expert group, which analyzed the decisions on arrests issued by investigative judges. In partnership with the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Supreme Court of Justice, they developed an Explanatory Decision of the SCJ Plenum regarding the regulatory framework on preventive arrest and house arrest. This document was reviewed in a meeting of the SCJ s Scientific Council and was adopted on April 15,

41 The Program experts developed and applied a unique research and analyzed the decisions on arrests issued by investigative judges. They identified the most problematic cases regarding the observance of the right to liberty and personal security from the standpoint of ECtHR case law. The report contains a thorough analysis of 652 criminal case files covering the period from July 1 December 31, It is based on 54 criteria established by the project expert group. This comprehensive analysis highlights the inadequate reasoning or lack of reasoning of detention warrants and brings to the public eye the professional misconduct of investigative judges during criminal proceedings. It provides empirical data and estimates the social and economic costs of this systemic and continuous precarious phenomenon. The report includes pertinent conclusions and recommendations to overcome this situation. Through this empirical research, the Program once again came to the conclusion that the most problematic issues of the criminal justice system that lead to a repetitive violation of Article 5 of the ECHR are identified at the pretrial phase, despite the fact that the ECtHR in its judgments entered in cases against Moldova, repeatedly called for a strong reasoning of the arrest warrants. The impact the Program achieved so far in the area of pre-trial justice is clearly visible. The representatives of the justice system took into consideration the expert conclusions and recommendations regarding the lack of reasoning of the arrest warrants, this being proved by the adoption of the Explanatory Decision of the Supreme Court of Justice Plenum, a document which provides comprehensive explanations on the pre-trial preventive measures to the criminal justice actors. The Decision, as well as the Report s recommendations and conclusions, are discussed during the interactive training courses for mixed groups of judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers, organized in partnership with the National Institute of Justice. Key Achievements in 2013 The Assessment Report of the factors impeding the effective functioning of the judiciary in Moldova was developed after the fact-finding mission of the International Commission of Jurists to Moldova carried out in September 2012; The Explanatory Decision of the Supreme Court of Justice Plenum regarding the regulatory framework on preventive arrest and house arrest was developed in partnership with the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Supreme Court of Justice and was adopted on April 15, 2013; The Practical Guide for investigative judges on reasoning the arrest warrants was published and distributed to practitioners; Interactive training courses for mixed groups of judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers on reasoning the procedural acts on pretrial detention preventive measures were organized; An Analytical Report on the respect of the right to liberty and security of the person when applying pretrial detention in the criminal procedure in the Republic of Moldova was developed; The book European Criminal Law by André Klip was translated into Romanian and is to be published in 2014 and distributed to faculty members and criminal justice practitioners; The activity of the Superior Council of Magistracy in evaluating investigative judges and reappointing as judges of general jurisdiction in the context of the 2012 legal amendments is being monitored by a nongovernmental organization (Legal Resources Centre from Moldova). 41

42 Priority 3: ENHANCING RESPECT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN MOLDOVA The Situation of Women in Moldova - the Focus of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) The Human Rights Resource Group s Activity (GRDO) was focused on monitoring and conducting advocacy campaigns to influence the implementation of international obligations by the government. By developing analytical products of substance submitted to specialized UN and EU institutions and mechanisms for human rights protection, GRDO managed to attract the attention of these institutions to the most problematic areas of human rights in the country. The year 2013 was marked by the Moldovan government s official hearings on the measures it had taken to ensure the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). On this occasion, GRDO mobilized NGOs efforts and activists on gender equality and protection of women, on developing an alternative report on the implementation of CEDAW. The participation of Moldovan activists in the 56th session of the CEDAW was an opportunity to once again alert civil society to issues facing women in nondiscrimination and equal opportunities and present it to the member states, UN inter-governmental forums and non-governmental organizations, and thus boost the government's determination to tackle the issue of human rights in a coherent and sustainable manner. The activity of GRDO members increased the Committee s interest in the women's rights situation in Moldova and as a result, many recommendations made by the GRDO members were included in the Concluding Observations of the CEDAW Committee to the Government in October The grants program implemented during 2013 was designed to strengthen the NGOs capacity and to create mechanisms to protect human rights. For example, through the grant offered to the Institute for Penal Reform, the Program helped strengthen the capacity of NGOs in Moldova in documenting and reporting the current situation of torture and other ill-treatment. The project goal will be achieved by developing the methodology for documenting and reporting the current situation of torture and other illtreatment in Moldova and by equipping the civil society representatives with documenting and reporting skills through training and data collection on the situation in the area of torture and other ill-treatments. The grants awarded to Promo-Lex and Women's Law Center aimed at increasing the legal protection of the victims of domestic violence, by identification of systemic problems and systematic enforcement of protection orders in cases of domestic violence; implementation of a pilot-sectorial intervention mechanism in cases of domestic violence and monitoring the performance of protection orders based on the best practices in two pilot districts; advocacy for the promotion of a nation-wide implementation of the piloted model; and raising awareness of citizens about the legal mechanisms of protection in cases of domestic violence. Key Achievements in 2013 An Alternative Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was developed; Alternative briefs and reports were drafted in the context of the EU-Moldova dialogue on human rights in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy; The NGOs capacities on documentation and reporting of the situation of torture and other illtreatment in Moldova were strengthened; The efforts of the civil society and of state authorities in ensuring an effective protection of victims of domestic violence were supported. 1 CEDAW/C/MDA/CO/4-5, Concluding Observations available here: Avhyns%2byJSa5CPnqMH4emw8LzCHfUsndGT0rOm8c5pn9QDJ9zWORvppk29GAyEfv2YH%2fefHHYV15wFRM73Te2LXi4xtvaR 42

43 List of Publications Launched in 2013 Effective Criminal Defense in Eastern Europe The publication was developed within the Legal Aid Reformers` Network (LARN) an international information-sharing network of organizations and individuals working to promote the rights to legal aid and effective defense established in 2009 with the support of OSJI. It is a cross-regional document aimed at advancing the European Union`s legislative agenda on the rights of suspected and accused persons in criminal proceedings in order to improve the defense rights standards and their implementation and at providing policymakers and practitioners with evidence on shortcomings and recommendations for reforms. Reforming the Judiciary in Moldova: Prospects and Challenges The study was developed as a result of the International Commission of Jurists fact-finding mission to Moldova organized in September It contains a comprehensive assessment of factors impeding the effective functioning of the judiciary, especially the disciplinary system. The study was developed in partnership with the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Supreme Court of Justice. It contains conclusions, legal and practical recommendations for advancing the current judiciary reform, such as independence of the judiciary; appointment and reappointment of judges; reasoning of decisions; judicial accountability and disciplinary actions. Arrest: A Guide for Practitioners The guide was developed by Cristi DANILEȚ, a judge and a member of the Superior Court of Magistracy from Romania, in partnership with 3 national legal consultants: Vasile ROTARU, Olimpia GRIBINCEA, and Veaceslav DIDÂC, as the scientific reviewer from the National Institute of Justice. The guide contains samples of drafting and a coherent reasoning of procedural documents issued for the application of pre-trial arrest and house arrest, as well as for sustaining the defense. The guide was developed in light of the latest amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Moldova, in effect from October 2012, and was based on the ECtHR case law. The National Institute of Justice approved the Guide and introduced it in the curriculum of in-service legal education sessions for investigative judges. Report on the Observance of the Right to Liberty during the Pre-trial Phase in the Republic of Moldova The Report was developed by a group of independent experts who analyzed the decisions on arrest issued by investigative judges. They identified the most problematic cases regarding the observance of the right to liberty and personal security from the standpoint of the ECtHR case law. The report contains a thorough analysis of 652 criminal case files from the period of July 1 December 31, 2013, based on 54 criteria established by the project expert group. This comprehensive analysis highlights the inadequate reasoning or lack of reasoning of pretrial detention warrants and brings under scrutiny the professional misconduct of investigative judges during criminal proceedings. It provides an empirical pool of data and estimates the social and economic costs of a systemic and continuous phenomenon of infringement. It also contains pertinent conclusions and recommendations to overcome this precarious situation. 43