Chisinau, Moldova, 24 August 2022: – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency recently signed a new agreement with the Oficiul Avocatului Poprului [Office of the Ombudsman] for the Republic of Moldova to strengthen their collaboration in support of human rights for refugees and others under UNHCR’s mandate in the country. This agreement builds upon the Ombudsman’s existing engagement with issues of refugee protection, including rights monitoring, as well as training for relevant authorities.
“I am pleased to reinforce this important partnership with a key advocate for human rights in the Republic of Moldova,” said Francesca Bonelli, UNHCR’s Country Representative. “UNHCR’s support, on top of the Ombudsman’s already notable expertise, will help further improve our collective understanding of human rights in this response and how we can respond together for both refugees from Ukraine and host communities.”
As a concrete sign of their deepening engagement with the refugee response, the Ombudsman´s office agreed to co-chair the Protection Working Group of the Refugee Coordination Forum (RCF). The RCF is a joint coordination body headed by the Government of Moldova and UNHCR that brings together humanitarian actors in the country – including UN agencies, civil society, national government counterparts, local authorities, the private sector, refugee-led organizations, and others – to cooperate in maintaining and improving the response for refugees from Ukraine and host communities.
“Certainly, this collaborative partnership brings added value to the Office of the People’s Advocate to strengthen the protection and promotion capacities of refugees’ rights on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, and I am glad that together UNHCR and the Office of the People’s Advocate can contribute to the protection and respect of refugees’ rights, including those who need international protection”, said Ceslav Panico, Ombudsman of the Republic of Moldova.
The Republic of Moldova has received nearly 536,000 arrivals from Ukraine and currently hosts over 92,000 Ukrainian refugees. A substantial number of those who remain in Moldova are women, children, and elderly refugees, who often require particular support in accessing their rights in practice.
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