The Council of Europe, jointly with UNHCR Moldova, presented the key findings and recommendations of a mapping exercise on stateless and undocumented persons in the Republic of Moldova,  during a round table. The mapping exercise was conducted between March and October 2025, by the Law Centre of Advocates and aimed to provide a realistic picture of the undocumented population in the country and to support evidence-based public policy development to prevent and reduce the risk of statelessness.

In his opening remarks, Vedran Ian-Kjeldsen, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, underlined that addressing statelessness is a shared responsibility and remains a priority for the Council of Europe. He highlighted the importance of close cooperation with national authorities, civil society and international partners to ensure the effective protection of the fundamental human rights of the most vulnerable groups, including persons in situations of statelessness or at risk of statelessness. 

Mr Philippe Krantz, lawyer at European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) Secretariat, addressed the audience outlining the Council of Europe’s strong legal and policy framework for addressing statelessness and ensuring access to nationality. He emphasised the importance of the European Court of Human Rights case law, which recognises nationality as an integral part of a person’s identity, and recalled the key Council of Europe conventions and standards aimed at preventing and reducing statelessness, with a particular focus on children.

The event brought together representatives of central and local public authorities, national and international experts, and civil society organisations. It provided a platform for exchange on access to nationality, birth registration, and civil documentation, as well as for exploring policy and operational measures to strengthen the national response, facilitate access to documentation, and ensure effective implementation in line with European and international standards.

The event was co-organised by the Council of Europe Project "Strengthening the human rights protection of refugees and migrants in the Republic of Moldova: phase II", and UNHCR Moldova.