OSCE enhances capacities of Moldovan institutions in promoting rights of national minorities

In order to build effective national institutions for the protection of national minorities, the OSCE Mission to Moldova organized a series of four online webinars from 2 to 6 November 2020 on conflict resolution for a coalition of public agencies, which promote and protect the rights of national minorities in the country.

The webinars were led by professor Frederick John Packer, Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa.  

During the four webinars, participants discussed the roles of human rights institutions in conflict resolution, conflict management and conflict prevention. They tackled strategic planning, as well as advocacy, reporting and communication issues and learned the difference between strategy, tactics and strategic planning. The discussion helped participants understand alternative approaches to their work, such as public interest advocacy, public service reporting, and public information and education.

Participants discussed the possibilities of their institutions in addressing the existing or potential tensions and the ways to become more effective. In the end, participants discussed public information and communications of their respective institutions and were challenged to think about priority goals for their institutions.

More than 30 representatives of the Agency for Interethnic Relations, the Ombudsperson’s office, the Equality Council and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research participated in the webinars. Over the past two years, the Mission has been working with these institutions to improve their co-operation and capacity in protecting the rights of national minorities in the Republic of Moldova – key to promoting tolerance and inclusivity, which are important enabling factors for the Transdniestrian settlement process.