July 13, 2020, Chișinău – Today marks the 25th anniversary of Moldova’s accession to the Council of Europe, the first pan-European organisation to bring together under its umbrella 47 states that share common values, such as democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights.
This anniversary is a manifestation of the irreversible anchorage of the Republic of Moldova in the Area of European values, with the Council of Europe playing a key role in strengthening the legal framework and developing a system of rules to ensure democracy, the rule of law and the promotion of human rights and freedoms in our country.
During the 25 years, with the support of the Council of Europe and through its Action Plans for the Republic of Moldova, numerous projects have been carried out on the functioning of democratic institutions, strengthening national institutions to protect human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, supporting justice reform, combating inhumane treatment and impunity, human trafficking, violence against children and domestic violence, supporting the development of the free and pluralistic press, education, local administration, and promoting confidence-building measures between the two banks of the Dniester river.
Recognising the fundamental role of the organisation’s instruments, the Republic of Moldova has signed 107 Council of Europe treaties, including the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms which provides access to one of the most effective mechanisms for the protection and guarantee of human rights – the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The Republic of Moldova and the Council of Europe are currently working together to develop a new Action Plan for the period 2021-2024, its objective being to strengthen the reform processes launched, as well as to help the Republic of Moldova achieve the level of achievement of the objectives set for accession, including in order to move to the post-monitoring phase of PACE.
In order to promote the values and principles of the Council of Europe, to inform the public about the results of cooperation with this important forum, several activities dedicated to the anniversary will be organised during the current year, including the launch of a fixed-brand envelope “CoE – Republic of Moldova: 25 years”, issued by the Moldovan Post Office, available today in philatelic stores in the country.
