On October 18, 2016, the Ombudsperson, MihailCotorobai, participated in the annual coordination meeting and platform within the 2015-2017 Programmatic Cooperation Framework for the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries.

During the meeting, the preliminary results of the regional projects carried out in Moldova under the CoE’s and EU’s Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) were presented and the objectives and priorities for 2017 were set. The priority areas identified were: protecting and promoting human rights, ensuring justice, fighting threats to the rule of law, and promoting democratic governance.

Regarding human rights protection and promotion, PCF will focus on strengthening the implementation of the European standards in the area of human rights at regional and national level, protecting the rights of national and ethnic minorities, promoting human dignity and equality, promoting human rights education and democratic citizenship.

The Ombudsperson believes that the activities conducted within the PCF and those which will follow, will strengthen Moldova’s capacity to implement internal reforms in order to bring them closer to the CoE’s and the EU’s standards in the area of human rights, democracy, and rule of law.