Moldova Project *
The Autonomy Mechanism for Conflict Settlement and Post-Conflict Transformation in Gagauzia
ECMI Activities in Transnistria
The Transnistrian region experienced a short outbreak of violence in the beginning of the 1990s and has virtually recessed from Moldova since then. The progress in talks about conflict settlement among the international community, the Moldovan and the Transnistrian authorities has proved to be elusive so far. The situation in Transnistria is further complicated by the extremely limited progress in region’s democratisation and the lack of civil society’s involvement in the conflict settlement process.
ECMI has been active in Moldova since 2003, providing international expert advice for various agencies of the Moldovan government on issues related to ethno-territorial conflict settlement and the design of power-sharing institutions. In particular, the representatives of Moldovan government were exposed to different types of international experience relevant to the on-going conflict settlement negotiations with Transnistria. In this context, special seminars and workshops were held and the advice was given to the Moldovan Delegation to the Joint Constitutional Commission, the Legal Department of the Parliament of Moldova, Ministry for Reintegration, and relevant parliamentary committees.
ECMI Activities in Gagauzia
A different but related type of conflict characterizes the functioning of the already existing Gagauzian autonomy in Moldova. The territory and people of Gagauzia obtained autonomy within the Republic of Moldova in an OSCE-mediated settlement in 1994. However, the autonomy statute has been left largely unimplemented, and there exists considerable confusion on both sides about what was actually agreed in the settlement.
In 2005, the Moldovan government requested ECMI to facilitate a dialogue between the Moldovan and Gagauzian authorities on improving the functioning of the Gagauzian autonomy. In consequence, ECMI held a number of meetings with Moldovan and Gagauzian sides at the University of Cambridge and in conjunction with the Cambridge-Carnegie Project on the Resolution of Self-Determination Disputes. The meeting resulted in a consensus by both sides to address relevant issue areas through a technical negotiation process in 2006. In particular, it was agreed that ECMI would establish and facilitate the operation of a Joint Technical Group, composed of international experts and senior political representatives and technical experts from both sides. The Joint Technical group was aimed to establish a better understanding on specific issues, such as the distribution of competencies, the representation of Gagauzia in the state as a whole, fiscal relations, electoral process and so on. In early 2006 the Joint Technical Group was established.
For further information, please refer to the Moldova Project website.
http://www.ecmimoldova.org
Action-oriented Projects
Kosovo projects
Georgia projects
Romani Expert Groups for Romani Integration *
Moldova Project *
Enhancing Minority Governance in Romania *
Enhancing Minority Governance in Bulgaria *
Serbia and Montenegro project *
Establishment & Maintenance of Minor. Ombudsman Institutions *
ECMI Macedonia Projects*
Ohrid Agreement Implementation*
The Montenegro Negotiation and Capacity-Building Project*
Power-Sharing in Bosnia-Herzegovina*
Forced Migrants in Kaliningrad*
EU Accession and National Integration in Estonia and Latvia*
