A/HRC/34/53/Add.2 18. The Bureau of Inter-Ethnic Relations, created in 1991, is the responsible body for the coordination of the policy of the Government on national minorities. Representatives of the Bureau highlighted the need for its institutional strengthening to adequately fulfil its important mandate and noted that, in the past, when the institution held the status of government department, it used to cover a broader portfolio, including religious minority groups and diaspora communities. In particular, it was noted that the institution was understaffed and lacked sufficient funding. 19. In recent years, the Republic of Moldova has taken important steps towards enhancing the protection and promotion of the rights of minorities through the enactment of relevant laws, the establishment of plans and the creation of ad hoc institutions. In 2012, the Law No. 121 on ensuring equality was enacted. It provides a comprehensive framework to combat discrimination and, in 2013, it guided the creation of a specialized body, the Council on the Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination and Ensuring Equality (the “Equality Council”). 20. The Special Rapporteur was informed that, although the Equality Council did not have a specific mandate on minority issues, as a specialized body mandated to combat discrimination it played an instrumental role in protecting the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Nevertheless, its representatives noted that the body had not been granted the power to carry out some specific functions that would be necessary to fully perform their duties, including effective sanctioning powers, the possibility of conducting investigation of cases in the field and the ability to address cases to the Constitutional Court. Its representatives further noted the insufficient allocation of resources to the institution, which may result in significant constraints to effectively exercise its functions, and the need for support with regard to translation services. They expressed concern regarding the premises where the Council is located, and the inadequate conditions of the current office in terms of safety, health and accessibility. 21. Following the expiration of the National Human Rights Action Plan 2011-2014, at the time of writing a new Human Rights Plan 2017-2020 was being conceived and was expected to be finalized early in 2017. The Special Rapporteur was informed that a supervisory body to monitor the implementation of the new Plan had been proposed. While welcoming the Plan, the Special Rapporteur highlights the need for sufficient funding to be allocated for its proper implementation and for minority rights to be reflected as an essential component of it. 22. The Roma Action Plan 2016-2020 was adopted in April 2016, following the expiration of the Roma Action Plan 2011-2015. Many stakeholders consulted stated that, despite the fact that the Roma Action Plan had been a positive development for the protection and promotion of Roma rights, the decentralization reform, which had placed the responsibility of implementing a large number of measures in the hands of local administrations, and the lack of sufficient funding, among other factors, had resulted in the Plan being poorly implemented, monitored and assessed. Concerns were expressed that, given the lack of budget provision, the current Plan would face similar challenges. The Human Rights Committee, in its concluding observations, explicitly recommended that sufficient human and financial resources be allocated to effectively implement the new Roma Action Plan 2016-2020.8 23. In the Action Programme of the Republic of Moldova for 2016-2018, an entire chapter and several provisions are devoted to national minorities, including the elaboration and implementation of a strategy for the consolidation of inter-ethnic relations for the period 2017-2027. The Special Rapporteur was informed that, at the time of her visit, the 8 See CCPR/C/MDA/CO/3, para. 12 (b). 7