To support further progress in Moldova in countering online child sexual exploitation and abuse, the U. S. Department of State has allocated $200,000 USD for a project, “Strengthening Moldova’s Capacity to Address Child Online Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (COSESA).” The project

necessity and context derives from the following national context: - Increasing number of reported and identified TIP trafficking cases and COSESA; - Insufficient national response thus far to COSESA; - Lack of relevant information on COSESA available to Moldovan legal professionals; - Recent institutional reform in the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) assigning COSESA responsibility to the PGO’s Anti-TIP Unit; - Legal initiatives in combating sexual violence against women and girls aimed at aligning national law with international standards (defined in the CoE Conventions); - Successful partnership developed between law enforcement, judiciary and civil society for advancing the fight against sexual violence against women and girls; - Need to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to investigate online child trafficking and conducting special investigations of child pornography cases.