Project Summary:

The human rights context on the left bank of Nistru is illustrated by the amplitude and interplay of multiple forms of inequalities vulnerable groups, such as inter alia persons with disabilities, Roma, people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, children in contact with the law, vulnerable women, prisoners and people who use drugs, are encountering. The ability of vulnerable groups from the region to effectively exercise their rights is impaired by the human rights knowledge, capacity and authority gaps they face. The embryonic civil society environment with weak capacities to influence the policy-making and to reach out to the most vulnerable ones and low human rights awareness of the CSOs, professionals and the population at large are hindering the realization of human rights in the region. Undeveloped and gender-blind specialized service provision, deriving from human and economic resources capacity gaps, the missing link between the CSOs and de facto authorities and the absence of a comprehensive human rights framework are representing additional major contributing factors to this debilitating juncture.

The Programme will work on reducing inequalities for women, men and children on the left bank of Nistru, by ensuring that vulnerable human rights holders are empowered to exercise their rights and duty bearers respect, protect and fulfil human rights to a larger extent. It also aims to contribute to the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan 2018-2022.

The current programme builds on the results of the previous joint action, finalized in December 2018 and on the follow-up report of the Senior UN Expert, Thomas Hammarberg, and will expand the results achieved in the area of awareness raising and development of social community-based services.

The One UN Joint Action "Cross-river support for Human Rights" (Phase 3) is implemented by six UN entities: IOM, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNDP and UNODC.

Objective:

The program intends to foster commitment for human rights-oriented reforms in general and particularly in the area of disability, child’s rights, Roma, rights of people living with and affected by HIV, rights of prisoners, and people in prisons, vulnerable women and rights of people who use drugs, facilitating the establishment of multidimensional cooperation, cross-river knowledge exchange and development based on best practices existing on both banks.

Expected results:

• Increased capacities of vulnerable rights holders to exercise their human rights on the left bank of Nistru: enhanced human rights skills and knowledge of vulnerable rights holders, strengthened institutional capacity of CSOs and informal groups, and improved service delivery of CSOs;
• Increased capacities of duty bearers to fulfil their human rights obligations on the left bank of Nistru - enhanced human rights compliant regulatory framework, strengthened human rights institutions and improved service delivery of duty bearers;
• Enhanced human rights culture on the left bank of Nistru - enhanced human rights capacity of the media and raised human rights awareness.

Accomplishments:

• Over 70 representatives of various vulnerable groups (>80% women) have increased their capacities in area of institutional capacity development. Among them there were: 63 women and 11 men, including 10 people with disabilities and 5 representatives of Roma community;
• As a result of the Programme’s interventions, the capacities of the members and partners of the Sustainable (Community) Development Platform to work together and plan joint actions was further increased through implementation of 22 joint initiative (grants) by organisations from the left and right banks of the Nistru river;
• Sustainable cooperation relations of SCDP’s members with CSOs on the right bank were established, among which: “SOS Autism”, “Institute for Human Rights”, “Positive Initiative”, “Federation of Families from Moldova”, “Union for HIV prevention and risk reduction” (UORN), “Women's Law Center” and others;
• Specialised services were provided to 10 victims of domestic violence and 3 aggressors; 22 children victims of violence; 20 children with autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, 19 older women, including those with disabilities, trained in computer literacy; 18 young people with disabilities prepared to access the labour market; 15 young people with disabilities trained in independent living skills; 6 Roma women trained in computer literacy; 10 representatives of the people living with HIV community were trained as para-legal specialists, while 532 persons from vulnerable groups questioned through the e-screening mechanism on discrimination cases. More than 1000 vulnerable people benefited of psychological and legal consultation; 2000 vulnerable people assisted via the Line of Goodness 1165;
• Awareness of the population on both banks of the Nistru river, especially the vulnerable groups, was increased on the subjects related to the rights of persons with disabilities, Roma community, people living with HIV/AIDS and survivors of gender-based violence.