Czeslaw Panko
Human rights and business
The study finds that while the legal and policy framework is largely in line with international standards, companies lack clear human rights due diligence obligations and existing practices are sporadic. At the same time, remedy mechanisms for those affected by business-related abuses are found to be ineffective.
Increased vulnerability is noted in the case of day laborers (zilieri), who face low wages and limited access to social and health guarantees. In the Transnistrian region, the lack of a legal framework and limited access of supervisory institutions increase the risks of abuse, while protection mechanisms are virtually non-existent.
The study contains 47 recommendations and emphasizes the need to develop a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in line with the UN Guiding Principles and European Union directives.
“This is a completely new area for us. The study was developed jointly with the Danish Institute for Human Rights and is being conducted in Moldova for the first time,” said People’s Advocate Cheslav Panco.
Human rights and digitalization
Another report on the relationship between human rights and digitalization was also presented during the hearings. The document draws attention to the lack of a common vision and a harmonized legislative framework in the field of digital governance.
The report emphasizes the risks associated with the violation of privacy and protection of personal data in the context of the expansion of public registries and interagency data exchange. The authors also warn about the dangers of using automated solutions and artificial intelligence without sufficient human safeguards in terms of oversight, transparency and the possibility of challenging such decisions.
However, the risks of digital exclusion for the elderly, persons with disabilities, linguistic minorities and rural communities are noted if the digitalization process is not accompanied by accessibility measures and offline alternatives.
