Key anti-corruption institutions in the Republic of Moldova underwent the second cycle of evaluation on the implementation of the Convention against Corruption
The National Anti-corruption Centre (NAC) hosted, from 5 to 7 May 2026, the country visit of experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It took place within the framework of the second cycle of evaluation of the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the evaluating states being Serbia and Ukraine, with the support of the UNODC Secretariat. The current cycle examined the provisions of Chapter II - "Preventive measures" and Chapter V - "Asset recovery", two essential areas for strengthening the state's capacities to prevent and combat corruption, including the phenomenon of cross-border corruption.
In his introductory speech, the director of the NAC, Alexandr Pînzari, emphasized that, for the Republic of Moldova, the process of accession to the European Union represents a transformation of the legal system. "In this context, the expert assessment is the test that demonstrates that our anti-corruption system is ready to implement European standards. A central pillar of our strategy is the priority given to preventing corruption. We focus our efforts on essential mechanisms such as anti-corruption education, rigorous expertization of normative acts and the assessment of institutional integrity. These measures, together with the constant monitoring of public policies, are the foundation on which we build an administration resistant to the phenomenon of corruption," said the head of the NAC.
During the three days of technical consultations, international experts met with representatives of key institutions responsible for preventing and combating corruption, strengthening institutional integrity and recovering criminal assets. These include representatives of the specialized departments within the National Anti-corruption Centre, as well as the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Superior Council of Prosecutors, the Prosecutor General's Office, the National Integrity Authority, the State Chancellery, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Accounts, the Central Electoral Commission, the Office for the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering, and the National Bank of Moldova. Representatives of civil society and investigative media also participated in the discussions.
The discussions focused on the efficiency of corruption prevention mechanisms, integrity in the public sector, transparency of administrative processes and public procurement, the independence of the judiciary, as well as international cooperation in the field of identification, seizure, and criminal assets recovery. The NAC highlighted the measures implemented to strengthen integrity policies, in accordance with international standards.
The assessment exercise is mandatory for all signatory states to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and aims to examine how international provisions are implemented in national legislation and practice. The results of the assessment will be included in a country report prepared by UN experts, which will contain recommendations for the further development of national anti-corruption and asset recovery mechanisms.
