The Law Center of Advocates (CDA), together with the European Network on Statelessness (ENS), has submitted a joint written contribution to the United Nations Human Rights Council as part of the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Republic of Moldova, scheduled to take place in October 2026.
The report focuses on the right to a nationality and the human rights challenges related to statelessness in the Republic of Moldova. It highlights persistent barriers affecting stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness, with particular attention to children’s access to birth registration and nationality, the facilitated naturalisation of recognised stateless persons, and procedures for confirming Moldovan nationality.
In their submission to the UN Human Rights Council, CDA and ENS recommend that the Republic of Moldova:
I. Fully promote, respect, protect, and fulfil its obligations to prevent and reduce statelessness, protect stateless persons, and uphold the right to a nationality in accordance with international human rights law, including by removing barriers to nationality for children and facilitating the naturalisation of stateless persons;
II. Improve the collection of comprehensive and disaggregated data on stateless persons, including information on their demographic composition, socio-economic situation, and access to education, employment, healthcare, housing, and public life, in order to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and ensure equal enjoyment of human rights;
III. Ensure that all children born in the Republic of Moldova are registered immediately after birth, regardless of their parents’ documentation status, and that birth registration procedures fully comply with international standards aimed at preventing childhood statelessness;
IV. Amend the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Moldova to facilitate the naturalisation of recognised stateless persons by reducing financial and administrative barriers, including exempting them from fees and taxes, counting periods of temporary protection towards residence requirements, and shortening the period of lawful residence required for naturalisation;
V. Strengthen national efforts to resolve remaining cases of statelessness by adopting a comprehensive policy framework that enables all stateless persons to have their status determined without discrimination and obtain identity documents;
VI. Adopt clear and transparent regulations governing nationality determination procedures to ensure their accessibility, predictability, and effective implementation.
Through this report, CDA and ENS reaffirm their commitment to protecting the rights of stateless persons and people at risk of statelessness in the Republic of Moldova. The submission calls for legislative and administrative reforms that strengthen safeguards against statelessness, ensure universal access to nationality, and promote equal protection under the law for all persons living in the country.
This submission builds on the long-standing engagement of both organisations in promoting the right to a nationality and ending statelessness in Moldova. As an Associate Member of the European Network on Statelessness, CDA continues to work alongside national and international partners to support reforms that bring Moldova’s legal framework and practice into full compliance with international human rights standards.
