From May 21 to 24, the Moldovan capital hosted a regional workshop for Ukrainian and Moldovan legal professionals, organized within the framework of the ACT — Addressing Corruption Together project. The event brought together lawyers, prosecutors, judges, academics, and representatives of government institutions from both countries to explore effective anti-corruption mechanisms, share experiences and practices, and develop joint approaches to the protection of human rights.

The workshop program included interactive sessions, team mentoring, visits to the National Anticorruption Center and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, as well as collaborative work on anti-corruption initiatives.

One of the workshop’s key objectives was to establish a platform for sustainable professional dialogue between Ukraine and Moldova. A crucial component of the event was the work in multinational teams, which fostered a deeper understanding of shared challenges and helped build regional synergy.

ACT project mentor Prof. Dr. Raimundas Kalesnykas (Faculty of Law, Turība University, Latvia) emphasized the participants' strong engagement in group work: “Their involvement was evident in the meaningful and dynamic discussions, the collaborative search for solutions, and the diverse approaches they shared with the mentors. Moreover, participants demonstrated a profound interest in applying the human rights-based approach (HRBA) to their anti-corruption initiatives, which reflects a deep understanding of the legal and institutional contexts in both Ukraine and Moldova.”

He noted that the participants were not only willing to share their own experiences but also open to learning from others, which significantly enhanced the quality of their joint efforts. “Going forward, the project should continue to prioritize mentorship, particularly in areas such as legislative initiatives, needs assessments and stakeholder engagement, trust-building in policy-making, integrity, and advocacy. Some of the initiatives developed may be implemented as pilot projects or scaled up in partnership with civil society, anti-corruption bodies, and international stakeholders.”

Morten Koch Andersen (Raoul Wallenberg Institute), mentor of the ACT project, shares that he sees great potential for further interaction among the participants — provided that the right space is created and the process is facilitated in an open, innovative, and productive manner.

“The teams showed a willingness to work together when we created the right environment. Perhaps the time allocated for the assignments was too short — the topic selection phase was particularly rushed. However, once they started working on the outcomes, they were genuinely engaged and open to mutual exchange,” says Mr. Morten.

Participants shared their impressions of the workshop, the insights they gained, and why this initiative is especially relevant today.

“We had a truly valuable opportunity to engage with other professionals. Personally, I particularly appreciated the group work, as well as the presentations, which sparked lively discussions and a great number of follow-up questions. There was a strong sense that everyone was actively involved in the process, and in my opinion, it turned out to be genuinely constructive,” shares Vasile Buzu (Prosecutor’s Office of Chișinău, Republic of Moldova).

According to Viorica Ursu (Central-Western Territorial Agency for Social Assistance, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Republic of Moldova), cooperation among legal professionals in the fight against corruption and in the protection of human rights is extremely valuable — it fosters the implementation of new ideas and models aimed at building a safe and modern legal system: “The exchange of experiences between the legal systems of the countries participating in this workshop will allow the development of effective approaches that will positively impact the prevention and detection of corruption.”

“The workshop created a unique and exceptionally supportive environment where participants felt safe, could speak openly, share challenges, and ask difficult questions. Mutual respect between institutions and informal communication among colleagues helped establish genuine connections that went beyond formal roles. It is precisely this atmosphere of trust that makes real cooperation possible — and this is undoubtedly one of the most valuable outcomes of the event,” notes Daria Arman (Project “Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Moldova,” Council of Europe Office in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova).

Daria Bulhakova (PhD in Law, attorney, Ukraine) shared the idea her team worked on during the workshop. She proposed the initiative “Digital Integrity Pacts: Smart Anti-Corruption Tools Inspired by EU Practice” to demonstrate how technologies can enhance anti-corruption mechanisms by integrating key human rights principles — such as access to information, accountability, and public participation.

“A representative example is the self-service digital platform developed within the pilot blockchain project Forest Stewardship Council (FSC Blockchain Beta). The proposed approach may be particularly useful for the forestry sector in Ukraine and Moldova, which has long suffered from corruption — including illegal logging, certification fraud, manipulation of customs documents, and lack of transparency in the timber trade.

This initiative offers a model that directly addresses these challenges by ensuring supply chain traceability through blockchain solutions and complies with the EU Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR), which came into force on 29 June 2023.

Thus, cooperation in the field of blockchain tools for timber traceability not only helps meet EU requirements, but also serves as a strategic anti-corruption and human rights tool for systemic reforms in countries on the path to European integration, including Ukraine and Moldova,” noted Ms. Daria.

Nataliia Shpak (Alfred Nobel University, Ukraine) shared her thoughts on the importance of international cooperation in the field of anti-corruption. She noted that Ukraine and Moldova, as candidate countries for EU accession, face similar institutional challenges in combating corruption. Therefore, mixed teams serve as an effective tool for mutual learning and improving approaches.

“The format of Ukrainian-Moldovan teams allows participants to look at the problem of corruption from a different perspective, exchange experiences, and compare the effectiveness of institutional mechanisms. In my opinion, such teams exemplify practical solidarity, institutional maturity, and a shared European identity,” the participant emphasized.

Olena Ladniak (CLS Law Firm, Ukraine) shared that a human rights-based approach enables her to promptly respond to violations during searches, detentions, or interrogations — for example, by immediately challenging the unlawful actions of investigators or prosecutors.

“This helps to have evidence obtained in violation of the client’s rights declared inadmissible, which is often decisive for the outcome of the case. Applying international standards and the case law of the ECtHR provides additional arguments when defending in cases involving abuse of power or corruption. This approach enables effective protection not only of the client’s procedural rights but also of their personal rights — including their dignity and freedom from arbitrary state interference. It increases the chances of a fair trial and strengthens the defense’s position even in complex situations,” Ms. Olena noted.

Nataliia Smetanina (Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, Ukraine) spoke about the use of a human rights-based approach in teaching anti-corruption subjects. She noted that this approach helps students better understand the scale and consequences of corruption — both for individuals and society as a whole. During classes, students analyze how corruption violates fundamental human rights, including the right to education, work, and fair distribution of resources. According to Nataliia, this strengthens their motivation to combat corruption. She is convinced that the human rights module should serve as a methodological foundation for discussing anti-corruption issues.

Artem Ripenko (DE-JURE Law Firm, Ukraine) shared his thoughts on which elements of Ukraine’s experience in the field of human rights and anti-corruption could be useful for Moldova: “Ukraine, having gone through a complex historical path, has gained extensive experience in preventing and combating corruption, as well as in implementing human rights-based approaches. This experience includes the creation of numerous institutions and the introduction of redress mechanisms for victims, among others. At the same time, many mistakes and miscalculations were made — which, ultimately, is an inevitable part of the process. Therefore, Moldova can at least avoid these mistakes and benefit from the best and most progressive Ukrainian practices.”

"The goal of the ACT project is to develop and strengthen the capacity of legal professionals from Moldova and Ukraine to prevent and combat corruption, as well as to promote and foster a culture of integrity in cooperation with other stakeholders both within their countries and internationally.

A key element of the ACT project is that legal professionals from Moldova and Ukraine have the opportunity to work together on issues related to anti-corruption and human rights, with the support of experienced mentors. Participants jointly develop practical materials that can be useful for professionals working in the field of anti-corruption and human rights protection in Moldova and Ukraine,” shared Tatsiana Rahozina, Junior Programme Officer at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (Sweden).

Kateryna Pyshchyk, Project Manager at the Ukrainian Bar Association (Ukraine), emphasized: “To ensure a lasting impact of initiatives like this workshop, we need to embed their outcomes into ongoing professional dialogue, institutional priorities, and concrete follow-up actions. One-time meetings are valuable, but their true worth emerges when they evolve into long-term cooperation, joint initiatives, and policy influence. This requires not only motivated individuals but also strong institutional partnerships. The partnership between the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, the Ukrainian Bar Association, the Moldovan organization Action for Justice, and the support of the Swedish Institute provides a solid foundation for sustainability. Real change begins when participants leave not only inspired but also ready to act, confident they have reliable partners by their side.”

The workshop is part of the ACT Academy initiative, which aims to strengthen the capacity of legal communities in Ukraine and Moldova to combat corruption through human rights-based approaches. The project is implemented by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in partnership with the Ukrainian Bar Association, the UBA Human Rights Institute, and the Moldovan organization Action for Justice.

You can view and save the photos from the event via the following link.