OSCE Mission to Moldova strengthens capacities of law enforcement to address hate crimes

Moldovan law enforcement officers strengthened their capacities and knowledge to identify and investigate hate crimes at an OSCE-led training of trainers from 9 to 11 December 2020. The Joint Law Enforcement Training Centre of the Moldovan Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy collaborated with the OSCE Mission to organize the event.

In recent years, the Mission has been supporting the Training Centre with various capacity-building activities to improve the skills of police officers around Moldova to address bias-motivated offences. Being rooted in intolerance, such crimes affect not only individuals, but also communities and, ultimately, social cohesion and security.

This year’s workshop consolidated the sustainability of this support. Eight women and nine men from law enforcement from various parts of Moldova, including the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, participated in the workshop. They learned about international standards and the specifics of the national legislation in the field of hate crimes. Having  upgraded their teaching and training techniques, the new trainers will be able to share their knowledge and skills with their peers around the country in the coming years.

This event was organized in the framework of the Mission’s project “Building a more inclusive society by advancing the capacity and co-operation of state and non-state actors”. The Mission has been continuously supporting the Moldovan Government in advancing policies that create a sense of a common home for all people throughout the country, and to make Moldova’s diversity a tangible asset.