The international conference "Protecting the Human Rights of Displaced Persons: Current Challenges and Next Steps" took place in Chisinau on November 5-6, 2024. The event, organized under the auspices of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, brought together representatives of the authorities of the Republic of Moldova and other Council of Europe member states, diplomatic missions and international organizations, civil society activists and professionals in the field, as well as CoE experts.
During Panel I: of the CoE Project on "Strengthening Human Rights Protection of Refugees and Migrants in the Republic of Moldova": achievements, learned lessons and next steps", the Head of the training and research Department of the National Institute of Justice, Ecaterina Popa, highlighted the joint actions. Thus, it was adapted to the national legal order and launched the HELP course "Asylum and Human Rights", also were created two animated graphic videos as teaching tools for training sessions for NIJ beneficiaries. In addition, was appreciated the opportunity offered to the NIJ delegation to make a study visit to the relevant European institutions in Malta, including the Judicial Studies Committee and the European Agency for Asylum. This experience facilitated the monitoring and assimilation of international good practices in the field of judicial training. The presentation also included the awareness-raising component of the actions carried out, particularly for the younger generation. With the support of the project, were organized several activities, including the National art contest "My home is your home: together in safety", informative lessons, exhibitions, an art workshop on the occasion of World Refugee Day. Also in the context of the worldwide campaign to promote the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there were issued postage stamps with children's drawings as prototypes.
The Conference's agenda included discussion sessions on temporary protection for refugees, the importance of psychological help in the context of displacement, as well as combating misinformation on migration in the context of the refugee crisis.
In the margins of the event, an exhibition of the participants of the National Art Contest "My home is your home: together in safety" was organized.
The project "Strengthening Human Rights Protection of Refugees and Migrants in the Republic of Moldova" is implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2021-2024 and runs from October 2022 to December 2024. The Council of Europe will implement Phase II of the Project, from 2025-2028, which will focus on strengthening the protection of refugees, asylum applicants and migrants in the Republic of Moldova by strengthening the capacities of state authorities.
