Greater efforts to protect Roma from violence and punish perpetrators key to ensuring Roma security and inclusion, say participants at Warsaw event
The very limited progress in implementing government strategies
and policies for Roma inclusion remain major obstacles to their
inclusion, participants said at an event in Warsaw on 14 September 2018.
The lack of progress is coupled with negative public and political
discourse, persistent discrimination and growing manifestations of
intolerance and racially motivated violence against Roma and Sinti in
the OSCE area.
The event was co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) and the Central Council for German Sinti and Roma during the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.
“We continue to receive worrying reports about hostile and inflammatory anti-Roma discourse and racially motivated crimes against Roma and Sinti, which widens social distance and deepens inter-ethnic tensions, especially when such crimes are perpetrated in a climate of impunity,” said Dan Pavel Doghi, Chief of the ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues. “It is crucial that state authorities step up their efforts to counter racism and discrimination in a systematic way and protect Roma and Sinti from violence, by vigorously investigating racially-motivated crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice.”
Đorđe Jovanović, ERRC President, said: “The most disturbing fact is that in most cases when Roma in Europe are attacked, we see, firstly, police negligence in failing to protect Romani citizens and, secondly, a failure to investigate the attacks properly. In certain cases this can only be described as a sort of complicity in the attacks.”
Participants expressed concern that Roma and Sinti, as well as other minorities in the OSCE area, are facing new dimensions of violent nationalism and racism.
“It is worrisome to witness how nationalist and right-wing populist movements continue to push for a division of Europe and undermine European values,” said Anja Reuss, Political Adviser at the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma. “We call on all OSCE participating States and political leaders to recognize antigypsyism as the root cause of hatred, discrimination and social exclusion of Roma and Sinti, and to take a clear political stand against antigypsyism.”
In the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, participating States committed to combating racism and discrimination against Roma and Sinti. They have also agreed to unequivocally and publicly condemn any violence targeting Roma and Sinti and to take all necessary measures to ensure their access to effective remedies.
The event was co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) and the Central Council for German Sinti and Roma during the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.
“We continue to receive worrying reports about hostile and inflammatory anti-Roma discourse and racially motivated crimes against Roma and Sinti, which widens social distance and deepens inter-ethnic tensions, especially when such crimes are perpetrated in a climate of impunity,” said Dan Pavel Doghi, Chief of the ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues. “It is crucial that state authorities step up their efforts to counter racism and discrimination in a systematic way and protect Roma and Sinti from violence, by vigorously investigating racially-motivated crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice.”
Đorđe Jovanović, ERRC President, said: “The most disturbing fact is that in most cases when Roma in Europe are attacked, we see, firstly, police negligence in failing to protect Romani citizens and, secondly, a failure to investigate the attacks properly. In certain cases this can only be described as a sort of complicity in the attacks.”
Participants expressed concern that Roma and Sinti, as well as other minorities in the OSCE area, are facing new dimensions of violent nationalism and racism.
“It is worrisome to witness how nationalist and right-wing populist movements continue to push for a division of Europe and undermine European values,” said Anja Reuss, Political Adviser at the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma. “We call on all OSCE participating States and political leaders to recognize antigypsyism as the root cause of hatred, discrimination and social exclusion of Roma and Sinti, and to take a clear political stand against antigypsyism.”
In the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, participating States committed to combating racism and discrimination against Roma and Sinti. They have also agreed to unequivocally and publicly condemn any violence targeting Roma and Sinti and to take all necessary measures to ensure their access to effective remedies.
Source: https://www.osce.org/odihr/395045
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