The Republic of Moldova became the 36th member state of the Council of Europe on July 13, 1995, signing the accession document in Strasbourg. It was the first country within the Commonwealth of Independent States to join the Council of Europe, pledging to respect the organization’s fundamental values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, IPN reports.
The main objective set at the time of accession was to carry out far-reaching reforms of the institutional system in order to build a democratic system that respects and protects fundamental human rights, where the law is the higher foundation of the state.
Two years later, on July 24, 1997, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova ratified the European Convention on Human Rights, an international agreement designed to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Citizens were given the possibility to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in cases of violations of the rights enshrined in the Convention.
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A report for the year 2024 states that in the 27 years since Moldova ratified the Convention, the Republic of Moldova has been the subject of 616 sentencing decisions, which have revealed 812 violations. Most frequently, the Republic of Moldova has been convicted for violating Article 6 of the Convention – the right to a fair trial. And the state has paid compensation amounting to €23 million to complainants.
The Council of Europe and the Moldovan authorities are running several projects aimed at reducing corruption, combating money laundering, supporting a fair and efficient justice system and stopping unfair treatment or abuse. Respecting the rights of minorities and building trust between people on both sides of the Nistru are other goals.
The Republic of Moldova has acceded to over 100 Council of Europe treaties. The strategic document of the cooperation dimension is the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova. On 12 February 2025, the Action Plan for the period 2025-2028, the fourth program of its kind to support democratic reforms, was launched in Chisinau on 12 February 2025. An important component of the new Action Plan is to support national institutions in realizing the commitments stemming from the EU accession process.
The new areas included in the Plan aim to combat trafficking in human beings, prevent drug abuse and addiction, and involve civil society and young people more in democratic decision-making. The plan supports national authorities in addressing the challenges posed by regional and global crises and countering the effects of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Over the next two months, IPN will present the events that have shaped Moldova’s recent history. Be part of the campaign and share the “History – making Events” stories with your friends, colleagues, and family.