Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders visited the Republic of Moldova from 25 to 29 June 2018. The main objective of the visit was to assess the situation of human rights defenders in the context of the State’s obligations and commitments under international human rights law, including the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

The Special Rapporteur analyses the context in which human rights defenders operate, including the legal framework and their enjoyment of the most relevant human rights and freedoms, and the impact of corruption. He pays particular attention to the specific groups of human rights defenders most at risk, such as human rights defenders in the Transnistrian region. The Special Rapporteur makes a number of recommendations with a view to assisting the Government and other relevant actors in their efforts to create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders.