The United Nations in Moldova marked with awards the most outstanding achievements in the field of human rights in the Republic of Moldova in 2015 during a ceremony held at the Place of the Republic in the evening of December 10. All winners were selected with public consultations and evaluated by an expert Board made of representatives of Moldova’s development partners and Moldovan civil society. Criteria used in the assessment included creativity, perseverance, commitment and courage shown in promoting human rights with high impact on people’s lives, IPN reports.
Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator / UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova, said the Republic of Moldova made considerable progress in the area of human rights and should be proud of this, but the efforts must be continued so as to remove the remaining deficiencies. To achieve this objective, a lot of political will and an efficient legal framework are needed and the UN is ready to further support this process.
The 2015 awards for outstanding achievements in the field of human rights were given to: Alliance of Community Centers for Access to Information and Training (Infonet), for promoting an innovative and inclusive approach to ensuring the right of persons with disabilities to participate in elections; “Floare de Cires”, a social enterprise, for promoting the right of persons with disabilities to work and independent living; “Initiativa Pozitivă”, for raising public awareness and increasing visibility of people living with HIV.
Also, Oleg Brega, a civic activist and an independent 2014 parliamentary candidate, was awarded for actively promoting transparency and advocating for the right to be elected independently, including for underrepresented groups. The Council on Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality, an autonomous state institution, was awarded for its proactive stance in and commitment to fighting discrimination and raising public awareness about equality, while the local community association “Singereii Noi” - for making active efforts in implementing a human-rights-based approach to community development.
In addition to the six awards, the civic activist and human rights defender Nata Scobioala received an Honorable Mention for her outstanding commitment to seeking justice for those in need, giving voice to the voiceless and humanitarian activity.
Organized since 2004 each year on International Human Rights Day, December 10, the UN Gala of Human Rights Awards highlights and awards the most creative, innovative, high-impact and courageous human rights initiatives and actions in Moldova for the past year.
