On March 21, 2025, CEP Vice President Iuliana Carbunaru participated in the international conference “Advancing Survivors’ Safety: Strengthening Perpetrators’ Accountability” in Moldova. The event, organized by UNFPA Moldova, brought together key national and international stakeholders to discuss the progress and future steps in implementing Article 16 of the Istanbul Convention, which focuses on perpetrator programs as a crucial part of preventing gender-based violence.

At the conference, Iuliana introduced the work of CEP in supporting effective practices for working with perpetrators and emphasized the importance of proper implementation to ensure long-term impact. She highlighted successful examples from CEP members, such as Austria, and linked the discussion to CEP’s continued focus on gender-based violence, particularly in preparation for the upcoming conference following the General Assembly. She also underlined the continuous commitment of CEP’s Gender-Based Violence expert group in this area.

The event provided an important platform for dialogue between key stakeholders, including colleagues from the National Inspectorate of Probation from the Republic of Moldova. The conference featured expert contributions from Sandra Jovanović from the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence (ENWWP) and Sara Kirkpatrick, the first speaker of the event and Executive Director of Welsh Women’s Aid. Discussions centered around the effectiveness of perpetrator programs, international best practices, and the role of probation services in ensuring both rehabilitation of the convicted persons and survivor safety.

CEP remains dedicated to fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing to enhance the impact of perpetrator programs across Europe. More details about the event can be found on UNFPA Moldova’s Facebook page: UNFPA Moldova