Roma

The Government remains concerned about the violence and discrimination

Roma continue to face in many parts of Europe. While the primary
responsibility for promoting their inclusion lies with individual countries, we
believe that international cooperation also has an important role to play. In
2010, our embassies across Europe helped to promote the rights of Roma
people. For example, in Hungary, the Embassy held a fund-raising event for
the European Roma Rights Centre which helped to raise awareness as well
as generate significant funds for the centre. In Romania, the Embassy
brought an expert from Bolton City Council who specialises in integrating
Roma and traveller communities in the UK to speak at a Roma conference,
and also hosted an event on Roma discrimination to mark the International
Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The issue of the integration of Roma communities was brought into focus in
the summer of 2010 through the expulsion of Roma from France. This led to
a drive for action by countries across the EU. The UK lobbied through its
network of embassies and high commissions on issues such as access to
education, employment and housing for Roma communities, particularly in
countries with large Roma populations. In June we agreed a set of Council
Conclusions which pushed for greater social and economic integration of the
Roma through EU and national policies. We also worked practically with
other EU member states to combat issues such as organised crime and
human trafficking, to which Roma communities are vulnerable. Since 2008,
the UK–Romania Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has disrupted the trafficking
of more than 1,000 children from Romania. While primary responsibility for
promoting Roma inclusion rests with EU member states, at EU level, the UK
has supported the Commission Task Force to ensure the effective and
transparent use of existing EU funds to address the problems faced by the
Roma. We will continue to work bilaterally with EU member states to promote
this best practice.

At the OSCE Review Conference in October, a working session on tolerance

and non-discrimination discussed what else could be done to implement the
OSCE’s Action Plan on Roma and Sinti. We supported EU recommendations
to make the review of the action plan a regular exercise, and to strengthen
cooperation between international organisations on Roma issues. In the
Council of Europe in October, participants at the Ministerial Summit on Roma
adopted a declaration reaffirming the rights of Roma, setting out priorities for
tackling Roma exclusion, and committing the participants to greater
cooperation between Council of Europe countries and European
organisations on Roma issues. The UK Ambassador to the Council of Europe
spoke in strong support of the declaration, as a clear commitment to
improving the situation of Roma people in Europe.