The project’s objective is to improve anticorruption policies and promote transparent and accountable operation of state anticorruption agencies.

The Project ”Support Integrity and Anticorruption efforts in Moldova through active civil society oversight”, implemented by LCRM, for the main anti-corruption and integrity institutions, in order to improve anticorruption policies and promote transparent and accountable operation of state anticorruption agencies.

The project’s key activities include:

- Monitoring and reacting to legislative initiatives and public policies in the field of integrity and anticorruption

- Monitoring, analyzing and publicly report on cases of high-level corruption

- Monitoring the activity and efficiency of National Integrity Authority

- Monitoring and evaluation of the integrity inspectors’ activity. Assessment of integrity inspectors' practice related to assets, conflicts of interest and incompatibilities verification of the high-level officials.

- Research and publicly present an analysis on judicial practice concerning integrity issues and sanctions in corruption cases

-Monitoring the activity and efficiency of Superior Council of Prosecutors

- Advocacy and alternative shadow reporting to relevant international mechanisms evaluating the Republic of Moldova (ex. GRECO, UPR, UNCAC).

- Survey among legal specialists about justice reform and fight against corruption.

- Organizing events for the legal professionals „Sharing experience with internationals on Integrity and Anticorruption”

- Advocacy campaign to change the legal framework and practice on declaring assets and property.

Within this project, LSRM will perform the following activities:

1.1 Monitoring and reacting to legislative initiatives and public policies in the field of integrity and anticorruption (primarily: National Integrity Authority (NIA), National Anticorruption Centre (NAC), Anticorruption Prosecution Office (APO) and Agency of Criminal Assets Recovery (ARBI)). Awareness raising via media and other means (including legal comments, public appeals, press conferences, meetings, short briefs,) if necessary.

LRCM aims to monitor and inform the society and the development partners of Moldova on the progress and challenges national authorities face in their pursuit to promote legislative initiatives and public policies aimed at influencing the anticorruption and public integrity legal framework or state agencies effectiveness. In this regard, LRCM will focus in particular on the Government Action-Plan for 2020-2023, which has several activities that are centered to tackle investigation of corruption cases (i.e., amending legislation to streamline the activity of the National Integrity Agency, the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anticorruption Center in the fight against corruption in the field of justice). By constantly monitoring how the intentions become legislative initiatives, LRCM will keep an eye on the progress, and when necessary alert and provide swift reactions to problematic initiatives, submitting written legal comments, raising awareness of the public, decision-makers and international partners.

As a result of these interventions, LRCM will contribute to improvement of policies and legal initiatives which do not reflect the best international and European standards, or if appropriate, advocate for their dismissal. If the deviations are established, LRCM will also swiftly inform the development partners.

1.2 Monitoring, analyzing and publicly report on cases of high-level corruption (on-going cases and new cases). Public pressure for efficient and fair examination of the monitored cases, if necessary.

At least 4 cases will be monitored throughout the project.

1.3 Monitoring the activity and efficiency of NIA (in particular, the appointment of integrity inspectors, the rules adopted/revised by the Integrity Council and their sittings).

 At the end of at least one year of monitoring, LRCM will produce a monitoring report, highlighting the deficiencies in the activity and efficiency of NIA and present it to the main stakeholders, proposing viable recommendations on how the activity of the NIA and its management bodies (i.e. Integrity Council) can be improved.

1.4 Monitoring and evaluation of the integrity inspectors’ activity. Assessment of integrity inspectors' practice (analysis of their acts/decisions) related to assets, conflicts of interest and incompatibilities verification of high level officials. Collaboration with an international expert (most probably from Romania) on drafting an assessment report on the issue.

The results of the report will be presented at a public event.

1.5 Research and publicly present an analysis on judicial practice concerning integrity issues and sanctions in corruption cases

Considering the project objective, LRCM wants to establish to what extent the judicial practice is uniform in (1) cases involving violation of the rules on declaration of assets, conflict of interest and incompatibilities of civil servants (first year of the project), and (2) consistency of sanctions applied in corruption cases (second year of the project). These two analysis aim to reveal solutions of the Supreme Court of Justice or court decisions which are not consistent.

Both papers will be presented at public events and used as advocacy tools to for the judiciary, as well as policy makers, to communicate the identified challenges and propose viable solutions.

1.6 Monitoring the activity and efficiency of Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) (in particular regarding its transparency, selection and discipline of prosecutors). Preparing notes of the sittings and follow up on relevant issues; awareness raising via media interviews and other means; public reactions to problematic decisions, if necessary.

At the end of at least one year of monitoring, LRCM will produce a monitoring report, highlighting the deficiencies in the activity and efficiency of SCP and present it to the main stakeholders, proposing viable recommendations on how the activity of the SCP and its affiliated bodies (i.e. Selection and Evaluation Boards) can be improved.

1.7 Advocacy and alternative shadow reporting to relevant international mechanisms evaluating the Republic of Moldova on anti-corruption, public integrity-related issues and effectiveness of anticorruption state agencies (ex. GRECO, UPR, UNCAC).

LRCM plans to advocate and provide at least two alternative shadow reports to relevant international mechanisms evaluating Republic of Moldova on anti-corruption, public integrity-related issues and effectiveness of anticorruption state agencies (ex. GRECO, UPR, UNCAC). For this purpose, LRCM will develop an advocacy calendar to see the upcoming evaluations Moldova has in the field of on anti-corruption, public integrity-related issues and effectiveness of anticorruption state agencies. Secondly, it will send in timely manner alternative reports to these bodies, based on comprehensive statistical, factual information and research. Lastly, if relevant for advocacy purposes, LRCM will attend at least one international conference to present these findings.

1.8 Survey among legal specialists about justice reform and fight against corruption.

LRCM aims to conduct a follow-up survey among judges, prosecutors and lawyers from Moldova to ask their opinion about the fight against corruption and reform of the judiciary.

The results of the survey will be presented at a half-day conference in Chisinau. At least 30 participants will be invited at the event.

1.9 Organizing events for the legal professionals „Sharing experience with internationals on Integrity and Anticorruption”.

At least 4 such events are planned to be organized during the project.

1.10 Advocacy campaign to change the legal framework and practice on declaring assets and property

Based on research of international good practices, LRCM will develop an amendment package to current laws and regulations on declaring assets, amendments to the Civil code and related legal framework, plus a practical methodology tool.

The purpose of this propject is to enable civil society organizations to demand effective and sincere implementation of the Integrity and Anticorruption reforms. Without it, the sustainable development of the Republic of Moldova is compromised on a long run.

As outcomes, the project foresees that:

(1) stakeholders and general public will be better informed about the efficiency and transparency of state anticorruption agencies;

(2) continuous public pressure on decision-makers and anticorruption agencies will create the necessary conditions to operate transparently and responsibly. In the same pursuit,

(3) deficient anticorruption policies and legislation will be timely spotted and will be called for improvement.