People`s Advocate at the Ministry of Defense

CHISINAU, May 17, 2022 — Today, Minister of Defense Anatolie Nosatii had a meeting with Ceslav Panico, People`s Advocate of the Republic of Moldova, as well as other representatives of the People’s Advocate Office (PAO).

The agenda included discussions on the institutional mechanism for cooperation in ensuring human rights and preventing torture in the national military system, as well as on the level of implementation of the recommendations of the Council for the Prevention of Torture and the People`s Advocate previously sent to the Ministry of Defense.

The representatives of the PAO were informed about the objectives and actions of training and information of the staff carried out in the National Army, as well as the collaboration with non-governmental organizations.

Minister Anatolie Nosatii said that the defense structure is open to effective collaboration with the PAO in order to deepen knowledge in the field of respect for human rights and combat discrimination within the National Army.

"I would like to mention that since the beginning of the year, I have ordered the intensification of briefings on the observance of the rights of the military in the National Army according to current legislation, but also the promotion of non-discriminatory, non-aggressive behavior, including outside military service," said Anatolie Nosatii.

The Minister specified that the meetings were moderated by representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the National Army, as well as non-governmental organizations including Promo-Lex Association, Gender Doc-M, Gender Center, UN Women, and Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims "Memory".

For his part, Ceslav Panico appreciated the cooperation with the National Army and proposed the creation of a working group that would contribute to respect for human rights, combat discrimination, prevent serious violations of military discipline, and create a safe and comfortable moral and psychological climate for the military units of the National Army.