UN Human Rights in the Republic of Moldova

Profile

UN Human Rights in Moldova assists the UN Country Team in Moldova, the authorities, the judiciary, the parliament, national human rights institutions and civil society through technical advice and capacity building activities to protect, respect, fulfill and mainstream human rights in the country.

Achievements

• With the support of UN Human Rights, the National Human Rights Action Plan (HRAP) encompassing the recommendations from the International Hman Rights Mechanisms was adopted by the Parliament in 2018. The plan establishes the National Human Rights Council, a high level inter-branch body to coordinate the implementation of the HRAP in Moldova.
• OHCHR Moldova has been actively engaged in the preparation and sustained support of the ground-breaking engagement of Mr. Thomas Hammarberg (Senior UN Human Rights Expert) in the Transnistria region.  In spring 2018,  Mr. Hammarberg conducted his follow-up visit to Moldova, including Transnistria region, after his previous engagement in 2012. This engagement has strong prospects for inaugurating good practices that can be replicated in other similar situations.
• The Office supported the establishment of the National Equality Council, as well as the capcity building of its staff. OHCHR has also engaged with the  People's Advocate to strengthen its capacity, which was recognized, in 2018, as fully compliant with Paris Principles and was granted the A status by GANHRI.
• With the support of the Office, young activists from different ethnic and linguistic communities and regions created a youth platform of minorities – Group of Youth for Interethnic Solidarity – in the Republic of Moldova in 2017.
• OHCHR Moldova continues to support the engagement of the State authorities and rights-holders with the International Human Rights Mechanisms. It has facilitated, prepared and followed up on visits of 4 Special Rapporteurs from Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council that have provided roadmaps in key human rights areas of relevance for the country context in the last 5 years.
• OHCHR Moldov also supported the engagement of NGOs with International Human Rights Mechanisms. In this context in 2019 around 30 NGOs participated in training activities conducted by OHCHR on alternative reporting to CEDAW, out of which 23 organizations submitted alternative reports, and 12 of them benefited from coaching in the process of developing and submitting the alternative report. A total number of 13 CSO representatives enchanced their capacities on international human rights advocacy by attending review of Moldova by CEDAW. 
• As a response to COVID-19, OHCHR Moldova facilitated the establishment of the NGO Task Force Covid-19 and Human rights which was joined by 54 NGOs from across Moldova, including from the Transnistria region and Gaguzia. An assessment conducted in the context of the NGO Task Force contributed to informing three successful COVID-19 related funding proposals in the context of COVID-19, targeting the most vulnerable and marginalized in Moldova, including the Transnistria region. Additionally, 12 thematic working groups of the NGO Task Force developed advocacy strategies with authorities, exchanged best practices on how to operate in the context of COVID-19 and will be conducting monitoring of the respective rights.
• Representatives of the Resource Group of Parents of Children and Youth with Disabilities, established with OHCHR's support in 2019, regularly conducts advocacy actions to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and human rights based approach to disability. One such example of advocacy action is the #10yearsCRPDMoldova campaign initiated by OHCHR with the active involvement of the Resource Group in July – August 2020 which ended with a high-level on-line event to promote the ratification of the Optional Protocol to CRPD, during which the Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection reconfirmed Moldova's commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol by 2021.
• In the context of COVID-19, OHCHR Moldova developed nine human rights guidances on thematic human rights issues as well as on human rights concerns of vulnerable grops. These guidances were published in Romanian, Russiand and four of them in easy to read easy to understand format. 31940 copies were requrested by and distributed to 57 national and local NGOs from Moldova including in the Transnistria region for their distribution to rights holders. Furthermore discussions on some of them with state authorities were conducted.
• OHCHR Moldova conducted a successful media campaign on COVID-19 and its impact on different vulnerable groups in the Transnistria region, with a focus on Roma, people with chronic diseases, older persons, and women victims of domestic violence.  Eight media products, including 5 posters, 2 comics, and 1 audio photo essay were produced and placed in social and local media resources.
• In 2020, OHCHR Moldova initiated the piloting of the Roma community mediators' institution in the Transnistria region, similar to that existing on the right bank of Nistru River. Field visits to 13 urban and rural areas densely populated by Roma the Transnistria took place in June – July 2020, where 69 Roma and Roma leaders were interviewed. The report on field visits gave an insight of the inequalities faced by Roma in access to education, empolyment, housing and documentation and will serve as a base for drafting a Roadmap and Action plan for establising the first Roma community mediators' institution in the Transnistria region.

Partners and Donors

Partners: UN agencies, Government of the Republic of Moldova, Parliament of Republic of Moldova, CSOs, People’s Advocate Office, The Council for the Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality.

Donors: Embassy of Sweden in Chisinau, European Union, MPTF.

UN Human Rights Focus Areas

Last reviewed: November 2020