The People’s Advocate, Mihail Cotorobai, condemns any attempts to denigrate and intimidate the representatives of the associative sector in the Republic of Moldova. Even if the arguments invoked are not likely to affect the credibility of civil society, to raise doubts about the performance and contribution of non-governmental organizations, launching attacks with accusations of undermining the interests of the state is in itself a serious fact, an unfriendly gesture aimed at the values of a democratic society, says Mihail Cotorobai. And this is because non-governmental organizations have an important role to play in promoting democratic change, through their activity in various spheres in areas not covered by the state and through their ability to transform society.

Mihail Cotorobai also emphasizes that civil society representatives are part of the category of human rights defenders, who have a positive, important and legitimate role to contribute to the realization of human rights, at local, national, regional and international level, including by engaging in dialogue with the authorities and supporting their efforts to implement the obligations and commitments of States in this regard.

The People’s Advocate notes that in several international instruments of the UN, the Council of Europe and the OSCE there are set standards for the protection and promotion of human rights defenders, including the media and the associative sector. Thus, in the Recommendation CM/Rec (2018) 11 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the need to strengthen the protection and promotion of the civil society space in Europe, Member States are recommended to “address gaps in the implementation, at national level, of international law and relevant standards for the protection of civil society and the promotion of its work, as identified in the “Analysis of the impact of current national legislation, policies and practices on the activities of civil society organisations, human rights defenders and national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights” adopted by the Steering Committee for Human Rights. The same document also recommends that Member States “respect the freedom of human rights defenders, including civil society organizations, to seek, receive and use resources from domestic, foreign and international sources”.

The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders states that Member States must support and protect human rights defenders in the context of their work, including by providing them with “access to finance organizations of human rights defenders and the collection and exchange of information on human rights standards and their violation ”.

In its capacity as the National Human Rights Institution, a signatory to the Marrakesh Declaration on the Role of National Human Rights Institutions in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights Defenders, the People’s Advocate Office has advocated and will continue to advocate for the promotion and protection of democratic civic space and human rights defenders, building a national system for the protection of human rights defenders and creating a favorable, accessible and inclusive environment in which all their rights are respected.

In this context, the People’s Advocate reiterates his proposal to adopt a law on human rights defenders, as recommended by the UN Rapporteur on human rights defenders Michel Forst, following his visit in June 2018 to the Republic of Moldova.

Also, Mihail Cotorobai reaffirms the opening of the People’s Advocate Office for a close and efficient collaboration with the representatives of civil society and the media in order to strengthen the democratic space, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms.

 10 22 2020

Directorate for the Promotion

of Human Rights and Communication

Tel.: 060002656