Today, Secretary of State Andrei Cecoltan held a bilateral meeting with Maha Damaj, UNICEF Country Representative in Moldova, to discuss UNICEF’s possible support for Moldova's accession to the European Union (EU).
The Secretary of State announced that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova (MIA) fully supports UNICEF's mission to combat poverty, violence and discrimination against children. During the meeting, it was highlighted that MIA ensures the functionality of the specialized Commission of the National Council for Human Rights, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention). Recently, as part of the Commission's activities, the Set of Measures for the implementation of the Lanzarote Convention for the period 2025-2026 was drafted and is set to be submitted to the Government for approval by the end of 2024. Additionally, the Continuous Work Plan for 2023-2024, which focuses on protecting the most vulnerable children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and trafficking and promotes child-friendly and gender-sensitive justice for both child victims and witnesses of crime and juvenile offenders was approved in 2023.
In terms of cooperation with UNICEF, the Secretary of State outlined the Ministry’s priorities, particularly the measures to implement the Lanzarote Convention and the development of safe mechanisms for intervention, prevention and combating child sexual abuse and exploitation, where UNICEF’s support will be crucial. These measures include the implementation of EU recommendations following the bilateral screening scheduled for September; initiation of projects focused on the integration of foreigners, including children; delivery of training on investigating trafficking cases in the online environment using information technologies and OSINT for child trafficking investigations.
At the end of the meeting, the official expressed confidence that the partnership and collaboration with UNICEF will contribute to creating a safer and more supportive environment for the development of children. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting and respecting children’s rights.