A/HRC/34/12 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its twenty-sixth session from 31 October to 11 November 2016. The review of the Republic of Moldova was held at the 9th meeting, on 4 November 2016. The delegation of the Republic of Moldova was headed by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Cebotari. At its 13th meeting, held on 8 November 2016, the Working Group adopted the report on the Republic of Moldova. 2. On 12 January 2016, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of the Republic of Moldova: Côte d’Ivoire, Slovenia and Viet Nam. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of the Republic of Moldova: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/26/MDA/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/26/MDA/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/26/MDA/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to the Republic of Moldova through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation stated that the Republic of Moldova was firmly dedicated to the promotion of human rights and welcomed the universal periodic review as a way to scrutinize the progress of the country with regard to the protection and promotion of human rights by relevant stakeholders. 6. The delegation presented updates on the ratification by the Republic of Moldova of several international treaties and identified the major development in the national human rights legal framework as being the completion of the second National Human Rights Action Plan for 2011-2014. The delegation underlined the Government’s intention to promote a new general human rights policy document that would include recommendations from international structures as well as the recommendations from the present evaluation exercise. 7. Key legal developments included the adoption of the Law on Ensuring Equality, which covered all grounds for discrimination and had created the Council on the Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality. That council adopted decisions on immediate reinstatement of the rights of victims of discrimination and formulated recommendations. In 2014, the council had been provided with investigatory powers for certain categories of administrative offences. 3