Event held on implementing UNSCR 1325 in Moldova

On 21 May 2024, Moldova’s Ministry of Internal Affairs held an event on implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). Organized around different sessions, the event convened more than 80 people, including representatives of the Secretariat, national entities, development partners and civil society organisations, with the goal of strengthening their collaboration to implement Moldova’s National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325 for 2023-2027. All of these stakeholders demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting gender equality in law enforcement, national defence, security and peace.

Opening the event, Adrian Efros, Minister of Internal Affairs, stressed that "the implementation of UNSCR 1325 is an opportunity to build a fairer and safer society for all our citizens." H.E. Katarina Fried, the Ambassador of Sweden to Moldova; Laura Hruby, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Chișinău; and Dominika Stojanoska, UN Women Moldova’s Country Representative, underscored the importance of international support for Moldova’s WPS efforts.

The first session focused on empowering women in decision-making roles. Doina Gherman, Vice President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, reported on legislative progress in this area, and Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, provided a perspective from her country.

The second session, moderated by Diana Salcuțan, Deputy Head of the General Inspectorate of Border Police, focused on ensuring Moldova’s territorial sovereignty and independence. Kateryna Pavlichenko, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs, gave a video presentation on cross-border challenges. Continuing this discussion, Luminița Cebîrciu, Deputy Head of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, spoke about ensuring a prompt and tailored response in emergency and crisis situations.

Lidia Ababii, Deputy Director of Moldova’s Customs Service, detailed how to strengthen border security measures, while Aurelia Barbaros, Head of Sectoral Policies for the Reintegration of the Country Section of the Bureau for Reintegration Policies, discussed reintegration policies essential for national security.

The third session, which was moderated by Corina Mocanu-Bonnin, First Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs for the EU Delegation to Moldova, featured stories on integrity and impact in this field. Presented by Veronica Dragalin, Head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the stories focused on maintaining resilience to perceived cross-border risks from Ukraine, the importance of psychological counselling for refugees and those involved on the frontline, and balancing one’s security work and personal life. Jana Costachi, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, concluded the session with a presentation on the importance of a flexible state response to the needs of refugees.

The fourth session centered on inclusive rehabilitation and peacebuilding and was moderated by Cristina Lesnic, a gender and security expert who is the former Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and Chair of the Board of the Institute for Democracy and Development. Other topics covered included Doctors Without Borders missions, lessons learned in conflict zones and the role of women in peace missions. The participants also discussed the critical role of community action in crisis response, drawing on the example of Harbivat, Moldova, where local residents immediately assisted refugees fleeing Ukraine during the first days, weeks and months of the conflict.

The last session, moderated by Jasmin Frentzel Sørensen, Deputy Head of Denmark’s Embassy in Chișinău, discussed effective governance, partnerships and collaborations for women's participation in the security and peace sectors; support for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Moldova; and project management to ensure progress in the field.

The event concluded with closing remarks by Daniella Misail-Nichitin, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who reaffirmed Moldova's commitment to promoting gender equality and implementing UNSCR 1325, stressing the importance of working together to ensure sustainable peace and security.

The event also highlighted the following achievements for women in Moldova’s security sector in 2023, a year that marked considerable progress:

• The rate of female employees in the Ministry of Internal Affairs reached 26.4 per cent, and of the total number of senior decision-making positions, 14.11 per cent are held by women.
• Within the National Army, women hold approximately 29.5 per cent of leadership positions. In 2023, three women employed through the Ministry of Defence participated in peacekeeping missions, including two in South Sudan and one in the Central African Republic.
• In the Intelligence and Security Service, the rate of female employees is 35 per cent.
• In the National Anti-Corruption Centre, the female employment rate is 30 per cent and women hold 28 per cent of management positions.
• The State Protection and Security Service has a 10 per cent female employment rate, which represents progress from previous years, and women hold two per cent of its decision-making level management roles.
• More women are now working in the Customs Service, with around 33 per cent of its employees being women.
• The National Administration of Penitentiaries has a female employment rate of 37.12 per cent.
• Thus far, the degree of implementation/partial implementation of Moldova’s NAP for 2023-2027 is 43.3 per cent, with five actions completed and 37 ongoing.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova with the support of UN Women and financial support from the governments of Sweden and Denmark.