UN HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE FIELD in the 2018 concluding observations issued by the Human Rights Committee, the 2014 concluding observations issued by CRC, the recommendations issued by the UN Working Group on arbitrary detention, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights and the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, and the statements of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The increased referencing to the international human rights system is part of a wider strategy of OHCHR to strengthen human rights and rule of law accountability in EU member states. Finally, the Office has been working towards building the capacity of national civil servants on National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up under the Mechanisms pillar, and advancing the protection of women and girls from violence in the digital space in EU legal and policy frameworks under the Non-Discrimination pillar. UN HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE FIELD REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA Participation (P) Population size1 Surface area1 Human Development Index2 NHRI (if applicable)3 4.04 million 34,000 km² 0.700 (rank: 110/188 in 2016) Status A, 2018 Type of engagement Human Rights Adviser Year established 2008 Field office(s) Chisinau UN partnership framework United Nations Partnership Framework 20182022 Staff as of 31 December 2018 2 XB requirements 2018 US$857,400 Please refer to Data sources and notes on p.191. KEY PILLAR RESULTS: Accountability (A) A1 – Law enforcement institutions have substantially improved systems and procedures that protect the human rights of women, persons with disabilities, victims of torture and ill-treatment, and Roma and other minorities. OHCHR contributed to improving systems and procedures to protect the human rights of Roma and of victims of torture by raising awareness, providing expert legal advice and enhancing the interaction with international human rights mechanisms. OHCHR and the National Association of Roma Community Mediators collaborated to strengthen the awareness of 40 persons of Roma origin (21 women, 19 men) through training that focused on equality and non-discrimination. 288 UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018 Spotlights: Disabilities The Office promoted better use of national protection systems in compliance with international human rights norms by providing expert legal advice to victims of human rights violations. Victims of human rights violations received continued support from the Office to claim their rights at the national and international level. In 2018, 10 cases were brought before the national courts or the Equality Council. Another case was submitted to the European Court of Human Rights and three cases were brought to the attention of the special procedures concerning torture, health and arbitrary detention. Between 2014 and 2017, 30 strategic cases on discrimination were filed to courts and the Equality Body. Key OMP pillars in 2018 123 P4 – Victims of human rights violations, notably women and youth with disabilities and women survivors of sexual violence, more frequently engage with national and international protection systems. The number of Roma community mediators increased from 17 in 2017 to 30 in December 2018. A conference on the implementation of CAT in the Republic of Moldova brought together law enforcement officials to raise their awareness about combating torture. The Office prepared an analysis for the Ministry of Justice on the potential protection mechanisms that are in place for whistle blowers of torture cases. OHCHR also assisted the National Preventive Mechanism with its submission to CAT as part of its follow-up to the 2017 review. P6 – Vulnerable rights-holders, notably individuals with disabilities, participate more frequently and more fully in forming public policy and drafting laws, including by taking public office. OHCHR advanced the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities on both banks of the Nistru River by facilitating learning, as well as dialogue between diverse stakeholders. During the reporting period, the Office provided financial and technical support for the first conference on the rights of persons with disabilities in the Transnistrian region that was held in Tiraspol in December. In the same period, Chisinau hosted the National Conference on the rights of persons with disabilities that has joined rights-holders from both EMPOWERED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Alexander Kovalchiuk is a 37-year-old man using a wheelchair. He has been immobilized in the chair for 19 years. The first eight years of his rehabilitation were the most complicated as he spent them confined to bed. Alexander lives in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova and before attending a series of trainings on the rights of persons with disabilities, which was delivered by UN Human Rights, he had no knowledge about the rights of persons with disabilities. Since his 2017 participation in the training, he has been focused on the rights of his peers and finding potential ways of improving the rights of those persons in the Transnistrian region. With support and empowerment from UN Human Rights, Alexander transformed his role from a beneficiary of support to a human rights advocate and a journalist. In September, Alexander became the Secretary of the Sustainable (Community) Development Platform, which was created as an advocacy tool for persons from underrepresented groups from the Transnistrian region. He had been involved with the Platform from the very beginning, when he participated in its first coordination meeting that was held in July 2017. He was also among the signatories of the petition to the de facto Parliament to ratify the CRPD in December 2017. The unilateral adherence to the CRPD by the de facto authorities took place in June 2018. In September 2017, Alexander joined the faculty of journalism at Tiraspol University, where he is currently writing articles about persons with disabilities and subjects that are related to his UN internship and Platform activity. He is also very active on social media. Since July, Alexander has served as the Chair of the Board of a Transnistrian NGO called “Participation.” Finally, as a result of his work as a journalist, he received the Keystone Journalist Gran Prix for his articles on persons with disabilities. In order to secure a permanent job, Alexander is undergoing training as a graphic designer, Inconsistent use of verbal tenses organized by Bertam SRL, a socially inclusive company, in cooperation with the NGO “Motivatie.” The capacity-building and awareness-raising activities undertaken by UN Human Rights in the Transnistrian region empowered Alexander to inspire others to believe in human rights and their potential. banks of the Nistru River. The objectives of the conferences were to support the establishment of policy priorities and raise awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities at the national level and in the Transnistrian region. than 120 persons, including 40 women and 30 men with disabilities, were trained by OHCHR. To ensure greater social inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Transnistrian region, a total of 73 representatives of the de facto authorities and service providers from the left bank of the Nistru River were trained on CRPD principles, human rightsand community-based services. More Shifts Inequalities UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018 289