UNCHR donates books to Moldovan universities

The UNCHR's Moldovan Office has donated sets of 260 copies of relevant books and publications valued at 26,000 lei to the Free International University of Moldova (ULIM) and the Moldova State University (USM). The publications and the books will help the students in these universities to improve their knowledge on refugee law, human rights law, European law and international humanitarian law. Vitalie Gamurari, dean of ULIM's Law Department, said the books will be very helpful to the future lawyers, who need to learn to promote respect for human rights, including of refugees. UNHCR Representative in Moldova Peter Kessler remarked that ULIM was the first educational institution in Moldova to introduce refugee law course into its curriculum. “I am extremely happy that a refugee law course is currently taught at four Moldovan institutions – ULIM, Moldovan State University, Stefan cel Mare Police Academy and Border Guard College, an educational outreach effort that does not exist elsewhere in the region”, said Peter Kessler. The UNCHR Representative has recalled that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention (July 28) which Moldova acceded to ten years ago this November; and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The donation was made as part of the EU-funded Regional Protection Program covering Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.