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Moldova Struggles to Meet International Human Rights Standards

The Ministry of Justice and key stakeholders in the Republic of Moldova are working together with international partners to improve compliance with human rights standards. The programme, funded by the Norwegian government, aims to strengthen the country’s criminal justice system and ensure a higher respect for human rights.

Programme Objectives

• Ensure a higher respect for human rights and the rule of law
• Assist national authorities in building up an efficiently functioning criminal justice system based on European human rights standards

Main Intervention Areas

• Consolidation of criminal justice policy, legislation, and judiciary practice
• Improving treatment and resocialization of inmates
• Supporting the development of capacities of criminal justice stakeholders
• Strengthening application of non-custodial pre-trial preventive measures and sanctions
• Alternative sanctions in criminal cases
• Improvement of probation services and release on parole mechanisms

Programme Implementation

The Programme is implemented jointly by two entities of the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law:

Entities Involved

• Human Rights National Implementation Division
• Criminal Co-operation Unit

Timeline and Budget

• Duration: 36 months (March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2021)
• Budget: €2,839,000, funded by the Government of Norway through a voluntary contribution

Alignment with International Initiatives

The Programme aligns with:

• The Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2017-2020
• The strategic priorities defined by the Moldovan Government in the prolonged Justice Sector Reform Strategy 2011-2016 (JSRS) and its Action Plan