Lawyers from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River discuss ways to better resolve clients’ documentation problems

The OSCE Mission to Moldova organized the first of this year’s Human Rights Clubs discussions for lawyers from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River on 12 May 2017. The event, held in Varnita, brought together some 30 lawyers and NGO representatives to discuss how to better aid clients who encounter issues with their documentation.

During the meeting, participants shared experiences of how problems with identity and civil status documents often lead individuals to turn to lawyers and Moldova’s Ombudsman to resolve these otherwise basic administrative issues. They highlighted how varying practices and the lack of a mechanism to harmonize the documentation process create additional hurdles for inhabitants of both banks. To address this, participants exchanged best practices on how to simplify the registration of civil status documents and help their clients obtain identification cards and other essential documents.

 “Today’s Human Rights Club meeting has again provided a valuable platform for discussing the difficulties that those dealing with civil status documentation face on a daily basis,” said Alexei Balan, a lawyer at the Resonance Centre for the Support and Development of Civic Initiatives in Bender. “The constructive recommendations developed by experts during the event will help lawyers from both banks to settle their clients’ documentation issues more effectively.”

The event is part of a year-long project that facilitates the exchange of information among lawyers from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. Throughout the year, five more meetings of the Human Rights Club are planned, during which participants will tackle different issues related to the documentation of the population.