Human rights defenders say Moldova needs Non-discrimination Law

A number of prominent Moldovan human rights organization consider that the draft Law on Prevention and Combating of Discrimination, or simply the Non-Discrimination Bill, is a necessity for Moldova. Amnesty International Moldova, the Non-discrimination Coalition, the Human Rights Informational Center, Promo-LEX Association, the Legal Resources Center, and CReDO call on the Moldovan Parliament to adopt the Bill and express their concern over recent calls by certain groups not to pass it. In a statement issued on Friday, the NGOs remark that some of the Bill's provision should be improved and omissions from the project should be rectified, and urge the authorities to seek further consultation from civil society before adopting it. “The long-awaited Law on Preventing and Combating Discrimination is aimed at protecting the rights of people of various social groups who often face discrimination. Albeit the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova guarantees the right to equality for all, currently these people are not ensured with real and efficient mechanisms of defence in cases when they run against unequal treatment in different domains. The Non-discrimination Law should be adopted in order to solder this gap”, says the statement. “A recent sociological study conducted in Moldova has revealed the perceptions of ordinary people about discrimination. It has been proved that the mentally or physically disabled, ethnic or sexual minorities, the elderly and women are subjected to discrimination more often. Clearly, the existing legislation is not sufficient for fighting discrimination. Therefore, Moldova needs a Law on Preventing and Combating Discrimination.” “Human rights defenders reiterate the state’s primary obligation to protect the rights of all people who are on its territory. Adoption of a non-discrimination law should be one of the steps to assure that the rights exist for all in Moldova.” On March 2, a freshly created group of NGOs and members of the clergy called on Parliament to vote down the Bill, in particular because they believe that the protection for “sexual orientation” runs against family values and Christian morality. The Bill was recently approved by the Government and sent to Parliament for adoption.