November 19, 2025, Chișinău – Secretary of State Sergiu Mihov participated in the opening of the 46th plenary meeting of the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Committee).

The event is being held from November 19–21, 2025, under the auspices of the Republic of Moldova’s Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The agenda includes monitoring the implementation of the Lanzarote Convention, a thematic exchange of views, and an analysis of the progress made in implementing the Final Declaration of the Informal Ministerial Conference adopted on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Lanzarote Convention.

In his speech, Secretary of State Sergiu Mihov emphasized the importance of strengthening policies to prevent and combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. He highlighted that such meetings provide an important platform for coordinating efforts and reaffirming the commitments of member states in this field.

Additionally, the priorities of the Republic of Moldova’s Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for the next six months were outlined. In this context, Sergiu Mihov noted that the protection of children’s rights is among the key priorities, alongside strengthening the European Convention on Human Rights system and ensuring the execution of ECtHR judgments, including by the Russian Federation, as well as combating violence against women, promoting social rights, supporting local democracy, countering disinformation, and assisting Ukraine.

Note: The Lanzarote Committee monitors the effective implementation of the Convention by its Parties, promotes the exchange of good practices, and encourages the reporting of identified difficulties. The Republic of Moldova ratified the Lanzarote Convention, which entered into force on July 1, 2012.