United Nations A/64/729 Distr.: General 29 March 2010 Original: English General Assembly Sixty-fourth session Agenda item 111 (h) Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections: election of fourteen members of the Human Rights Council Letter dated 10 March 2010 from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly I have the honour to inform you that the Republic of Moldova has presented its candidature to the Human Rights Council for the term 2010-2013 at the elections to be held during the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly. In accordance with resolution 60/251, I transmit herewith an aide-memoire on the voluntary pledges and commitments of the Republic of Moldova to the protection and promotion of human rights (see annex). I would be grateful if the present letter and its annex could be circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 111 (h). (Signed) Alexandru Cujba Ambassador Permanent Representative 10-29409 (E) 050410 *1029409* A/64/729 Annex to the letter dated 10 March 2010 from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly Aide-memoire on the candidature of the Republic of Moldova to the Human Rights Council Introduction The Government of the Republic of Moldova has put forward its candidature to the Human Rights Council for the term 2010-2013. This decision reconfirms the Republic of Moldova's deep commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms as a priority issue on its policy agenda and to the further advancement of the cause of human rights at the national, regional and international levels. Human dignity, the free development of the human personality, and human rights and freedoms represent supreme values and are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova. Human rights protection, at both the regional and the global levels, is an indispensable component of Moldovan foreign policy; therefore, from the outset, the Republic of Moldova actively supported the establishment of the Human Rights Council, convinced of the need to reinforce and strengthen human rights worldwide. The Republic of Moldova seeks to fully contribute to the promotion of universal respect for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and will endeavour to increase cooperation on human rights awareness among all Member States and across the United Nations system. Contributions of the Republic of Moldova in the area of human rights International level The Republic of Moldova is strongly committed to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights instruments. It is a State party to nearly all core international human rights treaties and their optional protocols, including the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Republic of Moldova has signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and will ratify it as soon as the necessary mechanism for its implementation at the national level has been set up. As a member of the Council of Europe, the Republic of Moldova has ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and most of its optional protocols, together with a number of other European human rights instruments. It was one of the first to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The Republic of Moldova fully cooperates with the treaty monitoring bodies by complying with their reporting requirements and implementing their decisions and concluding observations. It highly appreciates the establishment, in the Human Rights Council, of the universal periodic review procedure, which ensures the efficient and transparent implementation by each State of its human rights 2 10-29409 A/64/729 obligations and commitments. The Republic of Moldova will submit its first universal periodic review report to the Human Rights Council in 2011. The Republic of Moldova fully supports the work conducted under the special procedures of the Human Rights Council. In July 2008, the Special Rapporteurs on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and on violence against women, its causes and consequences, officially visited the Republic of Moldova. They received the full support of the Moldovan authorities and civil society organizations. Furthermore, standing invitations for country visits will be extended to all special procedures mandate holders. National level The Government of the Republic of Moldova, aware of human rights challenges, has adopted relevant legislation on gender equality, preventing and combating domestic violence, preventing and combating trafficking in human beings, labour migration, legal assistance guaranteed by the State, religious denominations and national minorities. A draft law on preventing and combating discrimination, which seeks to prevent discrimination in all its forms, is being examined by national institutions. A compulsory course in civic education focusing on human rights issues has been introduced in schools. The issue of the Holocaust is also intended to be introduced into school curricula. Important institutions and mechanisms have been established, including the Centre for Human Rights of Moldova, accredited in 2009 according to the Paris Principles, the national mechanism for the prevention of torture, the Bureau for Inter-ethnic Relations and the Coordination Council of Ethnocultural Organizations. At the same time, the Government has adopted a number of significant policies on human rights issues, in particular the national action plan in support of the Roma population (2007-2010), the national strategy and action plan to reform the residential childcare system (2007-2012), the national action plan to prevent and combat violence against children (2009-2011), and the national programme on the establishment of an integrated social services system (2008-2012). The draft strategy on social inclusion of persons with disabilities is being examined by the national authorities, while the national human rights action plan (2010-2013) and the national action plan to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings (2010-2011) are being drafted. In its activity programme "European Integration: Freedom, Democracy, Welfare 2009-2013", the Government has put forward an ambitious but pragmatic agenda for a democratic, prosperous, reunited and European state, ensuring the independence of justice, the rule of law, freedom of the press and human rights protection. Pledges and commitments in the field of human rights The Republic of Moldova has presented its candidacy for membership in the Human Rights Council with a firm ambition to play a positive and constructive role in the development and protection of human rights worldwide. If elected to the 10-29409 3 A/64/729 Council, the Republic of Moldova is determined to actively engage in its activities and to: At the international level · Fully support and engage in the deliberations of the Council, its subsidiary bodies and mechanisms, including the special procedures · Favour the independence of the special procedures system · Cooperate constructively within the universal periodic review mechanism · Promote the Council's effective, objective and prompt response to situations in which gross and systematic violations of human rights are observed · Advance the promotion and protection of human rights in the General Assembly and the Third Committee, and in this context, actively participate in the 2011 review of the work of the Council · Continue its cooperation in human rights with United Nations agencies, including support for the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights · Promote cooperation between the public sector and civil society by making use of the involvement of non-governmental organizations in the Council's activities · Work towards the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as the Vienna Programme of Action, the Beijing Platform for Action and action plans adopted at other major United Nations conferences · Effectively promote and protect human rights through international and regional organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the International Organization of la Francophonie · Support the effective involvement of non-governmental human rights organizations in the promotion and protection of human rights at the national, regional and international levels At the national level · Continue to extend an invitation to all regional and international human rights bodies, structures and mechanisms to visit the country · Cooperate in a constructive manner with international human rights bodies, in particular with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights · Comply with the basic guidelines set for the universal periodic review, such as universality, objectivity, cooperation and interactivity, and submit its own review in 2011. In this context, the preparation for the evaluation is under way, including through the implementation of the national human rights action plan for 2010-2013. A midterm evaluation of the national strategy according to the progress indicators and recommendations made under the universal periodic review process is envisaged for 2012 4 10-29409 A/64/729 · Prevent human rights abuses through existing national mechanisms, including the national preventive mechanism · Ensure the effective protection of the persons belonging to national minorities · Protect against and prevent discrimination in all its forms, both in law and in practice · Promote human rights education, including in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova · Reinforce national efforts and uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights 10-29409 5