OSCE Review Conference, Vienna, September 1999

9 September 1999

Mr Moderator,

In recent years there have been many discussions at the CSCE and then the OSCE on the situation of the Roma in Europe. It has been evident that few countries can be proud of their policy towards the Roma and even less on the lack of effective equality. Time after time there have been reports of discrimination and racist attitudes, while education, training, employment as well as health and housing are major issues for Roma in many countries.

At last the magnitude of the issues is being understood through Roma organisations, Human Rights, NGOs and bodies such as the Council of Europe European Commission on Racism and Intolerance. Countries such as the Czech republic are refreshingly honest today about the scale and the scope of the issues in their report to the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention on National Minorities. The OSCE Seminar earlier this month also emphasised the problems and the position of Roma, interalia, in areas of violent conflict. Today the European Union is funding substantial feasibility studies and assisting governments to plan programmes.

However in Minority Rights Group where we work with Roma in 4 countries, we remain deeply concerned about the lack of coherent strategic thinking and planning and the failure to involve Roma communities.

It is time to move away from generalised welfare programmes and disparate initiatives from organisations that are often in “competition” to a rights based approach that is focussed and coordinated with Roma, nationally and internationally.

MRG believes that by empowering and enabling networks of Roma NGOs to develop is one important way forward. The networks could specialise in issues such as education, training, employment, the law or the media, each having an added value. This may help strengthen and diversify the Roma leadership thereby having greater visibility and impact.

The strengthening of the OSCE Roma/Sinti contact point has been important and very much welcomed in response to the pressures of NGOs such as MRG and the positive response of the OSCE participatory states. The contact point could be the catalyst for the creation of a strategic development plan to mobilise Roma through a variety of networks with shared specific objectives. Roma should then be involved in governmental intergovernmental policy meetings and in monitoring, measuring and where possible managing Roma development programmes. It is important that these activities are also integrated into national programmes and specific initiatives are established to promote cooperation between Roma and Non Roma communities on the basis of dignity and rights.