Moldova Ratifies International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations

Parliament of Moldova has ratified the International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations by adopting the Draft Law proposed earlier this year, becoming the third signatory to do so and paving the way for its full implementation.

Moldova joined North Macedonia and Montenegro, which ratified the Treaty, initially signed in 2021 by Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and later Moldova, last year. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Serbia, which is the depositary country, will inform about the beginning of the implementation once it receives a diplomatic note with necessary information from the ratifying countries.

The International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations aims to prevent and combat corruption by providing for direct administrative exchange of information concerning asset declarations between the Parties of the Treaty. The Treaty enables anti-corruption bodies to communicate formally, if the ratifying countries decide to, with each other regarding data on foreign assets and interests, significantly enhancing verification of declarations and demonstrating essential commitment to the fight against corruption and strengthening cooperation in the Southeast Europe region.

The basis of the Treaty is the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and States Parties Resolution 6/4, which encourages Member States to consider the possibility of concluding multilateral agreements on civil and administrative matters relating to corruption, including international cooperation.

The Treaty was developed under the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-Corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, implemented by the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and with financial support by the Austrian Development Agency.

Work on its ratification and implementation is currently continuing under the SEE-TAC II Programme, once again financially supported by the Austrian Development Agency and implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.