The Ministry of Justice organized on Wednesday 15th
of November 2017 the final conference for closing the three programmes financed
through Norway grants 2009-2014, respectively RO20 ”Domestic and Gender-based
Violence”, RO23 ”Correctional Services, including Non-custodial Sanctions” and RO24
”Judicial Capacity-building and Cooperation”.
The conference was attended by high level
representatives, namely Ms Sofia – Mariana MOȚ, State Secretary within the
Romanian Ministry of Justice, Ms Anette CARNARIUS ELSETH, State Secretary
within the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Her Excellency Ms
Lise Nicoline KLEVEN GREVSTAD, Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in
Bucharest. The event was attended also by representatives of the donor state,
donor programme partners (Norwegian Court Administration, Norwegian
Correctional Services, Norwegian Police Directorate, etc.) as well as of the
Council of Europe, Programme Operators from other beneficiary states of the
Norway grants (Poland, Lithuania), Romanian institutions involved in the
implementation of Norway grants (Ministry of Public Finance, Ministry of
Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds), beneficiaries
and project partners respectively of central institutions (the National
Institute of Magistracy, the National School of Clerks, the General Inspectorate
of the Romanian Police, the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of
Cassation and Justice, the National Agency for Roma, the National
Administration of Penitentiaries, the National Agency for Equal Opportunities
for Women and Men, etc.), and non-governmental organizations (Save the
Children, the Foundation for Elderly Support, etc.).
State Secretary Sofia - Mariana Moţ launched the
conference by highlighting the "special assistance that Norway grants offered
for supporting the strategic development needs of the judiciary, the
penitentiary system, and for combating the domestic violence phenomenon in
Romania. For the Romanian judicial system, the Norwegian assistance was the
first major non-reimbursable allocation after the pre-accession European
financial funding arriving in a crucial moment that of the entry into force of
the new legal codes. ".
Ms. Lise Kleven Grevstad, Ambassador of the Royal
Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest, stressed the importance of cooperation between
the two countries in the justice field. "During the programming period we
are now concluding, Norway grants have contributed to the justice system in 11
European states. Combating domestic and gender-based violence was one of the
areas of intervention. In Romania, the outstanding results achieved in these
programmes, as well as the excellent collaboration with the Norwegian
institutions, have encouraged us not only to continue, but also to double the
funding. ".
The main results achieved within the 3 programmes
financed through Norway grants 2009-2014 were presented during the conference.
As regards the judicial system, the Norwegian funding
contributed to the training of approximately 9,000 judges, prosecutors and
other law professionals in the context of the adoption of new legal codes. At
the same time, investments were made in the IT infrastructure and in the
training of specialists for the preparation of the future development of the
electronic case management program used at the level of the judiciary (ECRIS).
The Norwegian assistance also provided the framework
for implementing pilot policies targeting vulnerable categories of citizens,
including the Roma population, aiming at improving their access to justice.
The programme dedicated to the penitentiary and
probation systems as well as to the pre-trial detention centres managed by the
Romanian Police have contributed to the improvement of the remand/detention conditions
in compliance with international standards, to the increase of the personnel
skills and to the development of specialized intervention programmes for people
in custody.
Thus, a therapeutic centre for women was set up and
equipped within the Gherla Penitentiary, the youth pavilion/wing from Bacău
Penitentiary for the social reintegration of minors and youngsters deprived of
liberty was rehabilitated, two self-management centres were set up at Craiova
and Brăila-Tichileşti Detention Centres, 5 ecological workshops in the Danube
Delta region were built for professional training of detainees, the Centre for Training
and Specialization of Officers from the National Administration of
Penitentiaries – Arad was renovated and equipped, over 1,350 persons (officers
and specialists from the penitentiary system, policemen) were trained, the organizational
management and the working tools for probation were improved, and also 51
arrest centres were modernized.
Nonetheless, the Norwegian assistance has supported
the system of protection of victims of domestic violence, both by improving the
counselling and hosting services at local level, by setting up or supporting
the operation of 11 centres for victims of domestic violence and 2 centres for
aggressors, 75 aggressors benefiting of counselling services and 950 victims of
domestic violence receiving specialized services, as well as by organizing 4
public information and awareness campaigns on domestic violence and trafficking
in human beings with a focus on vulnerable groups, including Roma people, helping
them understand and exert their rights,
also by training 1226 specialists in fighting against domestic violence, and
training 135 specialists in fighting
against trafficking in human beings.
The Program Operator has been constantly supported by
Norwegian partner institutions as well as by the Council of Europe,
international partner organization, being carried out a series of bilateral
actions leading to the creation of new networks of cooperation between
specialists from both countries.
For further information on programmes funded through
the Norway Grants 2009-2014, managed by the Ministry of Justice, as Program
Operator, and the respective implemented projects, please see the operator's webpage
at http://norwaygrants.just.ro/en-gb/projects.aspx.
