2013 Assessment Report: Targeted needs assessment of the legislative framework and institutional capacities of the criminal justice response in the area of anti-trafficking in persons in the Republic of Moldova / Vienna, March 2013

Trafficking in persons remains a major concern for Moldova and for countries in SEE. According to the trafficking database of the UNODC, in global comparison Moldova is one of the main countries of origin for trafficking victims. Over the last years, Moldova has undertaken a host of anti-trafficking efforts including establishment of a National Committee, adoption of National Action Plans, creation of a specialized police unit, designation of focal points within the office of the Prosecutor General, establishment of an Inter-Agency Center for Combating Trafficking in Persons (CCTIP) and reform of criminal legislation especially the Criminal Procedure Code and Criminal Code.

This assessment is an activity within the UNODC project “Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Trafficking in Persons in South Eastern Europe with a focus on Moldova” (Project). The Project is primarily designed to improve the criminal justice responses of Moldova to trafficking in persons through increasing operational capacity to investigate and disrupt human trafficking activities. It also aims at enhancing regional cooperation among justice and home affairs institutions of Moldova and identified countries in the SEE region, through intensive international knowledge exchange, institutional strengthening and capacity building measures.

Enhanced knowledge on the existing legislation and national responses in addressing human trafficking by national law enforcement/criminal justice institutions will contribute to the development of adequate policies, the planning of future interventions and  the provision of effective responses to the existing problem. Strengthening of criminal justice responses to trafficking in persons in Moldova within the Project will be achieved through national capacity building based on a needs assessment and enhancement of regional cooperation among justice and home affairs institutions of Moldova and the target countries in the SEE region. 

This assessment will strive to identify the existing national responses in addressing human trafficking by national criminal justice institutions in Moldova and highlight remaining needs and gaps in capacity. Thereafter, a set of recommendations will be proposed to stakeholders on how to better address those problems through the Project. The assessment is targeted in its scope and focused predominantly on criminal justice responses to THB, and it is aimed at collecting, systematizing and analyzing evidence-based information which will in turn facilitate ownership by the national authorities for implementation of the Project.

The assessment is a combination of an open source desk research and a field mission to the Republic of Moldova by UNODC representatives from 11-14 March 2013,  which incorporated a series of meetings with representatives of the central national authorities dealing with THB, in order to prioritize in partnership a set of activities to be delivered by the Project. The assessment report acknowledges findings of all recent reports and recommendations made by relevant international instances (UNODC Global Report on TIP, GRETA, TIP report of the USA Department of State, UPR, Report by OSCE Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating THB, International Center “La Strada”, Moldova etc.), and is also in line with UN-Republic of Moldova Partnership Framework 2013-2017[1].