A/HRC/19/60/Add.2 21. According to the same Government report, as at February 2009, the following religious entities (“Denominations and religious organizations”) enjoyed official status: 1,224 parishes of the Moldovan Orthodox Church, 199 parishes of the Bessarabian Orthodox Church, 15 dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Old Rite Church, 27 entities of the Chisinau Roman Catholic Bishopric, 241 churches of the Union of the Evangelical Christian Baptist Church, one church of Seventh-Day Adventists, 29 entities of the Church Union of the Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals), 129 Jehovah’s Witness communities, eight entities affiliated with the Jewish communities, two Apostolic Armenian Churches, three Societies of Krishna Conscientiousness of the Republic of Moldova, two Union of Christian Spiritual Communities Molocani, one Baha’i religion, one Religious Presbyterian Community “Peace Church”, 11 New Apostolic Churches, 18 Union of Free Christian Churches (Charismatics), three Churches of the Last Testament, three Bible Churches, one Union of Messianic Jews and seven Evangelical-Lutheran Churches. 7 22. According to a Ministry of Justice document dated 30 April 2010, in the second half of 2009 and first four months of 2010, the Ministry registered one religious community: the Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the Patriarchate of Moldova Kiev and All Russia-Ukraine. It also registered three more entities belonging to the Moldovan Orthodox Church, two entities belonging to the Union Gospel Baptist Christian Churches in Moldova, and one parish of the Orthodox Diocese of Eastern Moldova Kiev Patriarchate and all RussiaUkraine. Despite repeated efforts by a number of Muslim organizations, the authorities refused to register any Muslim community until March 2011, when the Islamic League of the Republic of Moldova was registered. The Special Rapporteur met a number of representatives of various religious organizations that still have not been officially registered, despite their efforts. He also met groups that had succeeded in registering as civil society organizations, having been unsuccessful in registering as religious organizations. V. Issues of concern to the mandate A. General observations 23. Interlocutors from various backgrounds agreed that the situation of freedom of religion or belief has clearly improved in recent years. While still remembering the harsh repression and persecution during the Soviet era, members of religious and belief communities appreciated the fact that, today, they can generally practice their religion or belief freely and without fear of undue Government interference. This assessment was by and large shared in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova, although the registration of religious communities there includes additional restrictive features (see paragraph 59 below). 24. Important challenges, however, remain ahead to ensuring the full enjoyment of human rights for all on the basis of non-discrimination and equality. The Special Rapporteur trusts that this task can be tackled successfully given the many encouraging manifestations of human rights commitment by the Government and civil society observed during his mission. 25. The Government has expressed its readiness to honour its national and international human rights obligations; this also relates to issues concerning freedom of religion or 7 8 Ibid., pp.24-25.