Moldova justice reforms must be effectively implemented (UN Statement)

Europe and Central Asia
Issue: Independence of Judges and Lawyers, UN Mechanisms
Document Type: Non-legal Submission
Date: 2022

The ICJ called on Moldovan authorities to effectively implement their justice reforms in line with international standards during the discussion of its third Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights Council.

The statement reads as follows:

“Mr President,

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) notes the completion of the Third Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review by Moldova.

The ICJ welcomes the acceptance by Moldova of the recommendations by France (127.100), Slovakia (127.101), USA (127.102), Armenia (127.103), Timor-Leste (127.104), Sweden (127.105), the Netherlands (127.106), Luxembourg (127.107), Lithuania (127.108), Estonia (127.109) and Chile (127.110) to continue working, by enacting and implementing reforms, to ensure the independence, impartiality and transparency of the judiciary, especially by protecting judges from all interference.

The ICJ commends certain reforms carried out by the Moldovan Government, including those on the Supreme Council of the Judiciary and the judicial disciplinary system. More efforts are however needed to ensure that such reforms are effectively implemented in light of the international standards of independence of the judiciary and do not remain only on paper, as has occurred in the past.

The ICJ regrets that Moldova only noted but did not accept the recommendations to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which Moldova signed in 2007, in attendance of a study on feasibility of their ratification.

The ICJ considers that these core UN human rights treaties encompass obligations that all States ought to undertake and should be ratified by all UN Members. We therefore call on Moldova to ratify these treaties.

I thank you.”

Contact:

Massimo Frigo, ICJ UN Representative, e: massimo.frigo(a)icj.org, t: +41797499949

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