On 23 November 2001 the Republic of Moldova passed a law by which it accedes to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. By acceding to the Convention, the Republic of Moldova became the 142nd State Party that assumed the responsibility to protect refugees pursuant to international standards. The latest vote is a major step in the right direction and it confirms Moldova's intention to apply international standards as well as to implement Art.19 of its Constitution, which guarantees the right to asylum. The 1951 Refugee Convention was the first comprehensive truly international instrument to address refugee problems in the world and, with its Protocol, remains the foundation of the international refugee protection regime. It contains a definition of who is a refugee and lays down minimum standards for the treatment of refugees. According to Article 1 of the Convention, "refugee" is a person "owning to well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside his country of nationality (or former habitual residence in case of statelessness), and is unable or unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country." The fundamental principles and rights embodied in these instruments have provided a resilient protection regime within which millions of refugees have been able to find safety from armed conflicts and persecution.

On 25 July 2002 the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted with 81 votes to none the Law on Refugee Status, voted by all the parliamentary factions.

The draft law was examined and approved by the Parliament in its first reading on 10 May 2001. A number of amendments and suggestions concerning the draft were submitted to the Permanent Commissions and Legal Department of the Parliament Administration. Further to the adoption of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, ratified by the Parliament on 23 November 2001, a number of amendments were put forward by the Commission for Human Rights and National Minorities, aimed to adjust the law in accordance with the provisions of the 1951 Convention. The vote during the second reading was a major achievement and precondition for the implementation of the 1951 Convention/1967 Protocol and the implementation of the Constitutional right to asylum.

The adoption of the law positively reflects the understanding by the Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Moldova of the benefit of having a refugee law.

That was an important achievement by Moldova towards aligning the legislation and practice in asylum matters with Europe and will attract increased cooperation with major donors and the UN family. UNHCR greatly appreciated this positive development and reconfirmed its continuous support to the Government of Moldova.