95% of the respondents of a study consider the human rights in Moldova are violated systematically or occasionally. The right to social protection and the right to work and favorable working conditions are the least respected, while the right to free movement is the most observed right, shows the study “Perceptions of Human Rights in the Republic of Moldova” that was conducted within a UN Moldova project financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, IPN reports.
The right to health is considered the most important right that requires enhanced attention from the state and society. Such an opinion is shared by 61% of the respondents. 44% mentioned the right to social protection, 31% - the right to education, 27% - the right to work and favorable working conditions, while 19% - the right to a fair trial. The other rights and freedoms gained less than 11%.
About 65% of those surveyed said the right to free movement is the most observed right in Moldova. This is followed by the right to freedom of conscience, thought and religion, the freedom of assembly and association, the right to vote and to be elected, the right to information, the freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to water and sanitation.
The respondents believe the right to social protection and the right to work and favorable working conditions are the least observed. The right to social protection is violated, considering the pensions size, the size of the social allowances, the low salaries.
According to the respondents, the human rights are mostly violated by the Government and Parliament, medical institutions, the police, courts and municipalities.
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova Dafina Gercheva said the study breaks the ice and offers a view on where the Republic of Moldova is on the way to building a society based on human rights, the rule of law and democracy.
Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai noted that the population’s opinion mainly coincides with the position of the People’s Ombudsman and existing statistics about the observance of human rights. “I think this study will be an indicator from which we must begin to remove the violations and fears mentioned by the population,” he stated.
The study authors recommend working out, adopting and implementing policy documents centering on the following rights: the right to health, the right to social protection, the right to work, the right to a fair trial, the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities, the right to physical and psychological integrity, the right to equality and nondiscrimination and the right to water and sanitation.
The study covered a sample of 1,015 persons older than 18. The margin of sampling error is 3.1%.
