In order to move towards the long-term vision – by 2030, Moldova is a country where people want to live and where all people fully exercise their human rights and enjoy a better quality of life in a more inclusive and resilient society – the United Nations system and the Government of Moldova, together with their stakeholders, have defined four impact areas that also represent strategic priorities for the Cooperation Framework 2023–2027: (1) Just and Inclusive Institutions and Equal Opportunities for Human Development; (2) Participatory Governance and Social Cohesion; (3) Enhanced Shared Prosperity in a Sustainable Economy; and (4) Green Development, Sustainable Communities and Disaster and Climate Resilience. Four respective outcomes represent the transformational changes (results) that should enable the achievement of the national priorities and the SDGs.
Achieving greater economic productivity and, consequently, higher living standards requires creating equal opportunities for all people of Moldova to contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The Theory of Change asserts that the creation of an empowering environment for inclusive and sustainable economic development through policy and institutional frameworks that promote the creation of productive and decent work is a major precondition for equal and meaningful participation of all people in the economy and to address the problem of shrinking human capital due to outmigration and the ageing of the population.
Enhanced and shared prosperity, underpinned by a more sustainable inclusive economic development, is regarded as another powerful accelerator for equal access to human development. Connected with this, building human capital that can diversify and innovate economic activities and increase the proportion of high-value and low-carbon circular industries connected to global value chains is a key precondition for boosting economic growth that benefits all. Comprehensively addressing the digital divide and skills mismatch, as well as gender segregation in the labour market, persistent discrimination against some marginalized groups, low protection at work, and the low competitiveness and inclusiveness of the private sector, should facilitate the development of human capital that will drive the transformation of the Moldovan economy. At the same time, it is critical to strengthen governance and institutional capacities to ensure that policies and service delivery are based on a human rights and non-discrimination approach and to stimulate the mobilization of available resources (including through engagement with the diaspora) for the creation of decent employment, and to boost the innovativeness and competitiveness of enterprises so as to enhance livelihoods and incomes. In addition, interlinked areas, such as well-developed transport and road systems, connectivity, trade and sustainable value chains and sustainable urban development, are very important factors contributing to prosperity and economic development.