Locations6 thematic platforms bring communities on both banks of the Nistru River closer together
July 13, 2026
A snapshot from the team-building exercise: “Lost in Translation.” A challenge that broke down barriers, proving that flexibility and team spirit are the keys to successful collaboration.
Sectoral platforms… What are they all about? They are a cooperation mechanism among professionals and civil society organizations from various fields on both banks of the Nistru River. Together, they generate solutions that help address shared challenges.
How do they work? What do they accomplish?
Let’s start from scratch. The platforms have been established to help address some fundamental questions:
- How can we ensure that social development and the benefits of social cohesion are felt by every person, regardless of which bank they live on?
- How can we develop sectors and communities that, although being on different banks, share the same daily challenges?
We create a space where professionals find common ground, identify shared interests, and build solutions around the same table. While rapid access to modern medical services is the norm for communities on one bank of the Nistru River, for those on the other bank, the digitalization of education and the protection of the Nistru’s ecosystem represent both a necessity and a potential for development.
But how can we ensure that these initiatives do not remain merely isolated actions, but instead become a driver of sustainable development and help create a functional ecosystem on both banks? Based on these questions, the first sectoral platforms emerged in vital areas such as health, education, culture, sports, and the environment. Subsequently, the portfolio naturally expanded to include tourism, a sector with significant development potential. First and foremost, sectoral platforms help strengthen trust and social cohesion.
From neighbors to communities of experts
Historically, the Nistru River has not only been a natural barrier but also a channel for communication and commercial and cultural exchange among communities. People on both banks have always shared the same natural resources, traditions, and challenges.
The modern concept of a sectoral platform refines this historical neighborly relationship, adapting it to the realities of the 21st century, where success in solving complex problems comes from collaboration and the effective transfer of knowledge.
Today, sectoral platforms are dynamic communities made up of experts, civil society organizations (CSOs), associations, and specialists from both banks of the Nistru. Imagine spaces for dialogue where doctors, teachers, environmentalists, and entrepreneurs collaborate and co-create, generating sustainable solutions in the six key areas they represent.
How do platforms work and why are they important?
Although each platform has its own specific characteristics depending on its field, the principles that guide their work are similar and centered around the community impact:
- Promoting dialogue and the exchange of best practices: Professionals no longer work in isolation. Platforms facilitate regular meetings and the exchange of experiences, allowing successful models to be adopted from one region to another.
- Knowledge transfer and joint development: Whether we’re talking about educational standards or the alignment of sector-specific procedures, these platforms create a common foundation for professional development and mutual trust.
- Bringing services closer to people: The focus is on improving quality of life. By supporting social and local infrastructure projects, community services develop harmoniously on both sides of the river.
- Co-creation and solution-building: Professionals on both sides of the river contribute to solving shared challenges. Anyone who wishes to contribute – from civil society organizations to independent specialists – can be part of these platforms, opening up real opportunities for transformation in their respective fields.
Impact: Transforming key sectors
Since their launch in 2017, with the support of the European Union and UNDP, these platforms have demonstrated a “snowball effect” and have proven to be valuable and adaptable mechanisms for engaging civil society, expert communities, and people on both banks of the river. They have worked together to increase access to quality public services on the left bank and in the security zone – ranging from opportunities for modern, high-quality education to awareness-raising and scientific research on the biodiversity of the Nistru River basin’s shared ecological area - while also responding to emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the influx of Ukrainian refugees, and the energy crisis.
And the tangible results speak for themselves:
Education: Digital skills for the future
The Education Platform supports teachers in the digital age by promoting digitalization in education. To this end, a pedagogical resource center equipped with interactive equipment and materials was established in Tiraspol to promote the principles of digital education. Over 1,400 teachers (including 1,362 women) have improved their digital skills at modern centers in Chișinău, such as Tekwill and Clasa Viitorului, by participating in IT seminars and sessions on online risk prevention.
Culture - A tool for building trust
The field of culture is another common ground through which trust can be strengthened. As part of the EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by the UNDP, this is ensured by the 380 professionals involved. They include managers of cultural institutions, artists, and cultural professionals from both banks of the river. This is an impressive number of people who, through all the activities they organize, contribute to both the development and promotion of culture and to the advancement of young artists, musicians, and cultural figures through training and the organization of cultural events on both banks of the Nistru River.
We find a similar echo of this approach in Cyprus, where cultural cooperation and joint efforts to preserve heritage between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities have demonstrated that art remains a vital channel for dialogue.
By involving professionals from both banks, not only we are contributing to local cultural initiatives but also applying international best practices, transforming the heritage on both banks of the Nistru into a genuine platform for people-to-people diplomacy.
Based on an analysis of the platform’s experience, we have formulated recommendations for developing cooperation in the fields of culture and cultural heritage between the communities on the right and left banks of the Nistru for the period 2025-2030. All of this with a focus on sustainable development, digital transformation, creative industries, and community building through culture.
Tourism: Shared routes on both banks of the Nistru River
The shared tourism potential is being harnessed through initiatives that stimulate the local economy. Through joint efforts, more than 1,800 heritage sites on both banks have been inventoried, and shared cycling and hiking routes have been created. All of these are featured on an interactive map of attractions on the left bank. Video clips have been produced to promote 10 destinations on both banks of the Nistru River.
More than 20 tour guides have been certified according to European standards. These are just a few of the results achieved during the first years of the Tourism Platform’s operation.
The one-day trial run of the “Pearl of the Nistru” weekend tourist train on the Chișinău - Tiraspol route was a success. More than 200 travel agents and ordinary travelers who wanted to explore this tourism opportunity experienced the train journey.
Health: solidarity that saves lives
Beyond its role in modernizing local healthcare systems and bringing together specialists from both banks of the river, the Health Platform has demonstrated a remarkable ability to strengthen services during times of crisis.
During the pandemic, the platform ensured the translation and distribution on the left bank of the treatment protocol for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Thanks to the support of development partners, the platform facilitated the donation of protective equipment and supplies to medical institutions on both banks and supported the accommodation of doctors from the left bank who were working on the right bank. At the same time, the volunteer teams that were formed provided support to doctors and to vulnerable or disabled individuals.
The same spirit of solidarity also characterized the coordinated response to the influx of refugees from Ukraine, through the rapid establishment of temporary shelter centers on both banks, the improvement of living conditions, and collaboration between doctors and community/social services. Essential supplies were collected and distributed.
The Health Platform has facilitated the adoption and adaptation of modern models of family medicine, thereby bringing medical care closer to patients’ actual needs. Investments have been made in the professional development of medical staff on both banks of the Nistru, which has strengthened trust.
The results achieved by the Health Platform have led to a separate project, through which medical protocols on the left bank are being updated, while specialists from the left bank are being trained on the right bank, earning qualifications recognized by the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Thanks to the knowledge transfer and cooperation facilitated by the project, medical staff on the left bank will be better prepared to provide emergency medical services in accordance with the latest standards.
Sports and environmental protection: An active and green future for all ages
In the field of sports, the platform has engaged over 30,000 people and trained 100 specialists. A sports aggregator was created to compile information about workshops, courses, and training programs in the field of sports. In addition, four summer camps were organized for children from both banks of the Nistru River. These were the first camps focused exclusively on sports activities. As a result, the children had the opportunity to try different sports, giving them the chance to discover an activity they enjoy and can continue to practice in the future.
To advance the protection of the Nistru River basin, environmental organizations are putting forward policy proposals, which they are promoting to decision-makers. One of these is ensuring more effective communication and transparency in the management of water resources within the Nistru River basin. These recommendations are also formulated within the Nistru Commission (Commission for the Sustainable Use and Protection of the Nistru River Basin), of which the Environmental Platform is a member.
Also in the field of environmental protection, a community of over 90 researchers, students, and CSOs promotes environmental education. More than 1,600 young people have been involved in related activities, participating in expeditions, conferences, and even the production of a documentary film: “The Lower Nistru: The Language of Nature.”
A catalyst for social cohesion and sustainable development
Looking ahead, it is essential that support for these sectoral platforms continue and be strengthened. They demonstrate that, beyond our differences, people’s real needs – health, children’s education, clean air, and economic opportunities – are exactly the same on both banks of the Nistru River.
Communities on both banks of the Nistru can generate significantly greater benefits if they pool their expertise and resources. Through co-creation, innovation, and knowledge transfer, we can turn shared challenges into opportunities for development, giving every resident the chance to live in a safer, more prosperous, and more united region.