Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

List of issues in relation to the fourth periodic report of the Republic of Moldova *

1.The State Party is invited to submit in writing the information requested below (preferably not exceeding 10,700 words) by 30 April 2026 .

A.General information

2.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to raise awareness among judges, prosecutors, lawyers and public officials of the economic, social and cultural rights enshrined in the Covenant and their justiciability. With reference to the Committee’s previous recommendations, please provide examples of cases in which the provisions of the Covenant have been invoked before the State Party’s domestic courts, and examples of relevant case law. Please elaborate on measures taken to ensure access to justice and remedies in civil court cases regarding economic, social and cultural rights, and to ensure the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.

3.Please provide information on measures taken to follow up on the recommendations contained in the report of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions of October 2023. In particular, please provide information on:

(a)Measures taken to guarantee the independence of the national human rights institution, the Office of the People’s Advocate;

(b)Measures taken to allocate human, technical and financial resources to enable the national human rights institution to carry out its mandate effectively;

(c)The level of implementation of the national human rights institution’s recommendations, including those on the promotion and protection of the full range of Covenant rights.

4.Please provide information on the impact of measures taken to improve the data‑collection system, in order to facilitate the assessment of the level of enjoyment of Covenant rights, including by disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups.

5.Please provide information on legislative, administrative or other measures taken, and the impact thereof, to ensure that businesses respect the economic, social and cultural rights of all persons and apply the principle of due diligence throughout their operations, and that victims of business-related violations of economic, social and cultural rights have access to effective remedies in the State Party.

6.Please provide information on measures taken by the State Party with regard to the mitigation of climate change, including specific measures, and the impact thereof, to meet the nationally determined contributions for reducing emissions that the State Party has set itself under the Paris Agreement, including through the implementation of the Act No. 74/2024 on climate action. With respect to climate change adaptation measures, please provide information on:

(a)How the State Party assesses the impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly for marginalized and disadvantaged individuals and groups, especially those living in rural areas;

(b)The implementation of the State Party’s national plan on adaptation and mitigation, including the allocation of all required resources, to address the impacts of climate change on, inter alia, economic, social and cultural rights;

(c)Measures taken to strengthen preparedness for and responses to natural disasters, including through the implementation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2024–2030), the adequacy of financial resources allocated for this purpose, and how coordination among the institutions responsible for disaster preparedness and management is ensured;

(d)The effectiveness of institutional coordination mechanisms, including the National Climate Change Commission, in ensuring coherent development and implementation of climate change adaptation policies for both slow-onset impacts and extreme weather events across key sectors, such as agriculture, water and sanitation, housing and health.

7.Please provide information on measures taken or planned to ensure that individuals in Transnistria can effectively enjoy their rights guaranteed under the Covenant. Please include information on any efforts to incorporate issues relating to economic, social and cultural rights into any discussions with the de facto authorities in Transnistria.

B.Issues relating to the general provisions of the Covenant (arts. 1–5)

Maximum available resources (art. 2 (1))

8.Please also provide updated information on the evolution of the following, covering the past 10 years:

(a)The proportion of the population living below the nationally defined poverty line, with data disaggregated by rural and urban households;

(b)Levels of inequality, before and after taxes and transfers, if possible defined as the ratio between the total income of the richest 10 per cent of the population and the total income of the poorest 40 per cent and as the ratio between the assets owned by the richest 10 per cent of the population and the assets owned by the poorest 50 per cent;

(c)The economy, in particular through the annual variations of gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita and the level of public debt in proportion to GDP;

(d)The proportion of public revenue generated through taxes and as a percentage of GDP, the proportion of public revenue obtained through direct and indirect taxes, the corporate tax revenue rate and the percentage of total revenue generated from personal tax collected on the incomes of the richest 10 per cent of the population, as well as provide an evaluation of the amount of tax evasion and tax avoidance and the fiscal cost of the main tax benefits;

(e)Public expenditure as a percentage of GDP and, within total public expenditure, the proportion of the public budget allocated to social spending, including social security, food, water and sanitation, housing, health and education.

9. Please provide information on the implementation of the State Party’s anti‑corruption legislation, including relevant anti-corruption strategies and action plans. Please describe specific efforts made to ensure transparency in public administration and to combat corruption, including bribery, paying particular attention to land administration, the public procurement system, tax administration and public services. Please provide statistical data on the number of cases of corruption and money-laundering prosecuted in the past five years, including high-level cases involving public officials and enterprises, the sanctions imposed on the perpetrators and the assets that have been recovered, taking into account the transnational dimensions of those crimes where relevant. Please provide information on the implementation of measures that have been put in place to protect whistle-blowers and to ensure the protection of and remedies for victims of corruption.

Non-discrimination (art. 2 (2))

10.Please provide information on steps taken towards the adoption of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, prohibiting direct, indirect, multiple and intersectional discrimination in all areas of life on all prohibited grounds. Please describe specific efforts undertaken with regard to the implementation of the State Party’s anti-discrimination laws. In particular, please provide information on the number of discrimination cases brought before the national courts and any other complaint bodies in the past five years, detailing the types of discrimination involved, the penalties imposed on the perpetrators and the remedies provided to the victims. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to ensure the effective implementation of the National Programme on Ensuring Respect for Human Rights (2024–2027).

11.Please provide information on the specific measures taken to promote the non‑discriminatory enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by marginalized and disadvantaged groups, including with regard to access to employment, social security, an adequate standard of living, housing, healthcare and education. In particular, please describe the impact of such measures, as demonstrated by disaggregated data, on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by Roma, migrants, refugees, persons with disabilities and LGBTQI+ persons. Please include information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to promote the non-discriminatory enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights in Transnistria, which remains under the jurisdiction of the constitutional authorities of the State Party.

Equal rights of men and women (art. 3)

12.Please provide information on the impact of measures taken to achieve equality between men and women in the enjoyment of their economic, social and cultural rights. In particular, please provide disaggregated data to enable the Committee to assess gender equality in the level of enjoyment of Covenant rights, including by Roma women, migrant women, refugee women, women with disabilities, single mothers, older women and other disadvantaged and marginalized groups of women.

13.Please provide information, with disaggregated data covering the past five years, on the impact of measures taken to eliminate gender role stereotypes and to promote the equal sharing among women and men of family and care responsibilities, including for children, dependent persons and older persons. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to address gender-based discrimination at work, including Act No. 107/2022 and other measures guaranteeing equal pay and conditions for men and women. Please describe the impact of measures taken to increase the participation of women in the labour force and to address the overrepresentation of women in low-paid work and in the informal economy. Please provide information on measures taken to promote the representation of women at all levels of public administration and in management positions in the private sector.

C.Issues relating to the specific provisions of the Covenant (arts. 6–15)

Right to work (art. 6)

14.Please provide statistical data covering the past five years, disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, disability and urban and rural areas, on participation in the labour force, employment rates, underemployment rates and unemployment rates and on the proportion of employment in the formal economy and in the informal economy. Please provide information, including statistical data, to describe the impact of the legislative and policy measures referred to in the State Party’s report on effectively improving labour force participation and employment rates, in particular for disadvantaged and marginalized groups such as Roma, persons with disabilities, women, young persons, persons living in rural areas and returned migrant workers. Furthermore, please provide information on the impact of measures taken to facilitate a progressive shift from the informal to the formal economy.

15.With reference to the Committee’s previous recommendations in relation to Moldovan migrant workers abroad, please describe the measures taken by the State Party to retain its workforce and to facilitate the integration of returned migrant workers into the labour market, including the impact of any efforts to create job opportunities and establish incentives for skilled workers.

Right to just and favourable conditions of work (art. 7)

16.Please provide comprehensive information on the impact of the measures taken in this area, including by the State Labour Inspectorate, along with relevant annual statistics, highlighting the main areas of violations of labour laws revealed during inspections of working conditions, and detailing the preventive action taken, sanctions imposed on employers and remedies provided to affected workers. In relation to undeclared work, please provide information on the impact of the national information campaign entitled “Start declaring” and the initiative to develop a national plan on combating undeclared work, and provide an update on the status of the draft law related to undeclared work and wages, as mentioned in the State Party’s report. Please also provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to index the minimum wage to the cost of living and adjust it regularly, in collaboration with social partners, to ensure that workers and their families enjoy an adequate standard of living.

Trade union rights (art. 8)

17.Please provide information on absolute and relative participation levels of workers in unions, and on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to protect trade union members from intimidation, harassment and arbitrariness. Please provide information on the legal framework in relation to the right to strike.

Right to social security (art. 9)

18.Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken, including the legal and policy measures described in the State Party’s report, on the enjoyment of the right to social security, and provide statistical data and information in relation to eligibility for contributory and non-contributory social security schemes, social security coverage and the adequacy of benefits. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to guarantee that the pension level corresponds to the subsistence level, is enough to provide an adequate standard of living and takes in consideration the particular needs of marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Please provide detailed information on the impact of the amendment toAct No. 489/1999, including with regard to the self-employed beneficiaries, on the right to social security. Please also provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to guarantee equal access to social services and to enhance resilience in the event of public health, climate, energy and other socioeconomic shocks, including the reform of the RESTART social assistance system, and on how minorities and marginalized and disadvantaged groups are considered.

Protection of the family and children (art. 10)

19.Referring to the State Party’s report, please provide detailed information on the impact of policies on social protection for families and children, including those aimed at families of persons with disabilities, older persons, single mothers, migrant workers, ethnic minorities and low- and middle-income households. Please provide information on the effectiveness of the relevant regulatory frameworks, including labour protections for caregivers,and on the sufficiency of institutional capacities and financial resources dedicated to the protection of families and children. Referring to the State Party’s report, please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to guarantee the protection of children at risk of exploitation and children separated from their parents. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to prevent cases of early marriage.

20.Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to eradicate the worst forms of child labour, and on the impact of the measures taken to eradicate the sexual exploitation and trafficking of women and children. Referring to the State Party’s report, please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to provide specialized services for the victims of trafficking in persons. Referring to the State Party’s report, please provide information on the implementation and impact of the national referral mechanism for the protection and assistanceof victims of crime and the action plan for its implementation, and on the service for the assistance and protection ofvictims and alleged victims of trafficking in persons.

Right to an adequate standard of living (art. 11)

21.Please provide information on the impact of the programmes currently in place aimed at combating poverty, such as the Social Aid Programme, including statistical data on their coverage disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, disability, urban and rural place of residence and employment status.Please provide information on budget allocations for poverty reduction, indicating whether and how the national multidimensional poverty index has guided such allocations.

22.Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to address malnutrition, including those measures described in the State Party’s report. In addition to the efforts to promote healthy eating habits, please provide information on the impact of measures taken to fulfil the right to food, including indicators on the prevalence of food insecurity and, where applicable, details on programmes aimed at improving food production and distribution methods.

23.Please provide information on the efforts made to improve access to adequate and affordable housing, including statistical data and information on the impact of any programmes aimed at building social housing for marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Please also provide information on the measures taken to further improve access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene, including in deprived urban and rural areas. In particular, please provide information on the impact of the national programme for the implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. Please provide information on any measures taken to improve household energy efficiency and support the transition to clean energy, and to ensure access to affordable energy, particularly for people living in poverty, rural households and other disadvantaged groups.

Right to physical and mental health (art. 12)

24.Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to ensure that healthcare and health services are available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality, taking into account specific challenges faced by marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to ensure universal coverage of healthcare and health services, including with reference to the financial instrument of the compulsory health insurance system, the National Development Strategy “Moldova 2030”, and the National Health Strategy “Health 2030”. Referring to the State Party’s report, please provide information on the impact of the strategy for the development of human resources in the health system (2016–2025) and other measures to strengthen the capacity and increase the number of healthcare providers.

25.Please provide disaggregated statistical data on maternal mortality and morbidity, and on mortality among children under 5 years of age. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to increase the provision and quality of sexual and reproductive health services and programmes, including through educational programmes targeting women, young persons and marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to increase the use of modern contraceptive methods among the population, including among the rural population, minorities and other marginalized and disadvantaged groups. Referring to the State Party’s report, please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to prevent, treat and control communicable diseases. Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to conduct preventive awareness-raising on the health risks associated with drug use, to ensure access to healthcare services, psychological support, rehabilitation and harm reduction programmes for persons who use drugs, to combat the stigmatization of and discrimination against persons who use drugs and to adopt a humanrights-based approach and consider alternatives to punitive approaches and criminal penalties for personal drug use.

Right to education (arts. 13 and 14)

26.Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to ensure that education is available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality, taking into account specific challenges faced by marginalized and disadvantaged children. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to improve school infrastructure and to address the shortage of teachers. Referring to the State Pary’s report, please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to increase school enrolment rates, and to address absenteeism and the reportedly high dropout rates, in particular among Roma children and children living in deprived urban and rural areas.

Cultural rights (art. 15)

27.Please provide information on education in minority languages and the measures taken to preserve and promote the languages, history and culture of national and ethnic minority groups, including Roma. Please provide information on the measures taken, and the impact thereof, to promote accessibility and the participation of persons with disabilities in cultural activities, including the implementation of Act No. 60/2012 on the social inclusion of persons with disabilities.