OSCE Mission trains lawyers and civil society on best practices of protecting national minorities’ access to information

The OSCE Mission to Moldova conducted three workshops on non-discrimination and access to information for persons belonging to national minorities from 11 to 29 November 2019 in Chisinau. More than 80 legal professionals and civil society representatives from three different regions of Moldova, including the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, participated in the workshops. 

The training sessions introduced participants to international and national legal standards in the area of national minorities’ rights. The lawyers reviewed existing case law and gained practical experience in promoting and protecting minorities’ rights to access information on labour, justice and health.

The participants also improved their skills in dealing with complainants and providing effective remedies for national minority groups in the area of access to information. Relevant practices and decisions of the key national human rights institutions, including the Equality Council, were included in the workshop’s agenda.  

The event was organized in co-operation with the Lawyers’ Training Centre of the Moldovan Bar Association.

The OSCE Mission to Moldova supports efforts of the Moldovan Government to implement the National Strategy for Consolidation of Interethnic Relations for 2017‒2027. The Strategy seeks to promote inclusivity and tolerance in Moldova, which are important preconditions for achieving the end state of the Transdniestrian settlement process. The document was developed with the participation of the Mission and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.