the Ministry of Justice still leave room for further improvement and clarification. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) was created to reform the training of justice������������ officials��. Beneficiaries of the NIJ are judges, prosecutors, court clerks, court bailiffs, candidates for these positions and other persons working within the judicial system.25 In 2008 UNDP Moldova, at the request of and in partnership with the NIJ, initiated P��������������������� ���������������������� roject��������������� Strengthening �������������� the Institutional Capacity of the National Institute of Justice������������������������������� ,������������������������������ which will continue to 2010. The objectives of this project are:  strengthening the administrative and financial management of the NIJ;  developing a methodology for systemic drafting of the curriculum for effective training modules and publications;  developing communication capacities and ensuring effective internal and external communication of the NIJ. Within this project, the NIJ formulated ���������������������������������������������������� a �������������������������������������������������� curriculum for ����������������������������������� the ������������������������������� initial training��������������� of������������ judges and prosecutors and drafted and published the course materials. The NIJ drafted the curriculum for court clerks’ initial training and a practical guide for court clerks. 1.4. Goals and objectives of the Trial Monitoring Programme The overall goal of the Trial Monitoring Programme, as set forth in the initial Programme document of 17 July 2005, is to enhance the Republic of Moldova’s compliance with its OSCE commitments and other international standards on the right to a fair trial���������������� ;��������������� to strengthen the rule of law������������������������������������������������������������������������� ;������������������������������������������������������������������������ and to promote respect for human rights. In particular, the purpose of the Programme is to monitor and disseminate information on compliance with fair trial standards, to build the capacity of civil society to monitor and accurately report on trials, and to raise awareness among relevant national and international stakeholders of����������� ������������� the right to a fair trial and violations thereof. Special attention is paid to the rights of victims and witnesses in trial proceedings. Underlying the Trial Monitoring Programme is the generally accepted view that organized and regular court monitoring standardizes the observation and information gathering process and provides a comprehensive means to examine the justice system, noting both the strengths and weaknesses in an impartial manner. The information gained through trial observation will enable the OSCE Mission, ODIHR and other interested organizations������������������������������������������������������������������������������� to work with the national authorities to promote ����������������������������� improvements����������������� in the judicial system that ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� will �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� increase fairness and human rights protections in Moldova. The end goal of this approach to trial observation is to ensure an impartial and objective judiciary, to ensure the protection of human rights of both defendants and victims through full compliance with international fair trial standards, and to educate the public and civil society on the proper functioning of the judicial system. The general objectives of the Trial Monitoring Programme fall into three categories: 1) monitoring the application of international fair trial procedural standards; 2) promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law; and 3) building capacity of local civil society to���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� monitor and report. Specific objectives for the implementation of the trial monitoring programme in Moldova are as follows: 25 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Art.s 2 and 20 of Law on National Institute of Justice and the Statute of the National Institute of Justice, approved by the Council of the National Institute of Justice on 6 June 2007. 15