A new breed of watchdogs in Moldova

An UNDEF project in Moldova, where corruption and public mismanagement remain major challenges, established an innovative form of joint media-civil society watchdogs to work for transparency and accountability. The project's investigations successfully held local authorities accountable for misuse of school funds, forced the removal of dangerous chemicals stored in an unsafe warehouse, and revealed mismanagement of drinking water. Some of the key activities were in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, a Russian-speaking enclave in south Moldova, where UNDEF Deputy Head Annika Savill met with project organizers and participants from both media and local NGOs in April 2014. Implemented by the Moldova NGO Contact Centre in partnership with the Rural Development Agency Center, the project also conducted successful investigations in the regions of Taraclia, Orhei, Rezina, Soldanesti, and Telenesti.