As Hope and Homes for Children’s Senior EU Advocacy Advisor, I recently visited Moldova to deliver training to some of the country’s leading children’s rights organisations.
At the end of October, I spent three exceptional days in Chisinau, Moldova, where I’d been invited by the Children’s Rights Alliance to deliver a two-day training on EU Accession and Advocacy for their Board.
I had the opportunity to work with participants from leading organisations such as CCF Moldova, Partnership for Every Child, Diaconia, Child Rights Information Center, Pestalozzi Children’ Fund, Keystone Moldova, AiBi Moldova, Concordia, La Strada, Lumos, AOPD (Alliance for People with Disabilities), and APSCF.
Day 1
On the first day of the training, we were joined by Máté Csicsai, Deputy Head of Delegation / Head of Political, Press and Information at the EU Delegation to Moldova. He highlighted key features of the EU accession process and engaged the participants in a Q&A session.
Following his presentation, I provided an in-depth overview of the European Union’s functioning, its legislative instruments, the global and EU frameworks for children’s and disability rights, and the EU accession process – with a particular focus on Moldova’s negotiating framework and country-specific recommendations and opportunities.
The participants shared their varied experiences in advocacy, and I was impressed by the high level of expertise in the room. Some organisations practiced meaningful child and youth participation, which was truly inspiring.
Day 2
On the second day, we delved into EU advocacy in practice. The participants engaged in group discussions on how they carry out advocacy at the national level, and I shared tips from our work in Brussels, as well as a structured framework for developing an advocacy strategy.
Both afternoons were also devoted to preparing an EU advocacy strategy focused on leveraging the opportunities Moldova’s EU accession brings. A strong message that emerged from the training was the need for more capacity building in the civil society sector. This would enable these organisations to take a proactive role in Moldova’s EU accession journey as equal partners in reform efforts.
During the breaks, the upcoming elections were an important topic of discussion, with concerns about the possibility of Moldova veering away from its EU path. There was particular worry about the country’s potential shift away from democracy, especially after the recent EU accession referendum.
Getting to know Moldova’s child rights sector through the dedicated and experienced leaders of these organisations was both an inspiring and humbling experience. It was a privilege to witness the remarkable work they are doing in the field of child protection.
Day 3
On the third day of my visit, I had the pleasure of meeting with the senior staff of CCF Moldova, Hope and Homes for Children’s partner in the country. I provided them with a summary of the training and engaged in discussions about the future of child welfare reform in Moldova.
While I was in Moldova, the European Commission published its 2024 Enlargement Package. The Moldova Report highlighted both progress and challenges. It acknowledged the expansion of the social protection system to include families with children at risk of poverty, as well as the near doubling of childbirth allowances. However, it also stressed the need for Moldova to address the systemic issue of children with intellectual disabilities being placed in psychiatric institutions.
As part of their EU advocacy strategy, the training participants emphasised the importance of leveraging these reforms to advance the child rights and protection agenda in Moldova, with the vision of completing the country’s child care reform before its EU accession.
When I left Moldova, I felt a renewed determination to support the realisation of this vision. I was deeply moved by the warmth and hospitality of the training organisers and by the dedication of those working in Moldova’s child rights sector. I look forward to continuing my efforts to secure support for the reform of the country’s child protection system, with the hope that Moldova will indeed be the first EU enlargement country to have completed this path before joining the Union.
