Council of Europe meeting for Roma - Council of Europe

Representatives of the 47 Council of Europe countries, the EU and the Roma community gathering in Strasbourg today unanimously condemned widespread discrimination against Roma and their social and economic marginalisation.

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, who called the meeting following concerns about Roma rights during the summer, said "the time for action has come. Today we have made a fresh start to actually helping the Roma population of Europe. Roma are fellow Europeans".

Member states agreed to a joint effort and pan-European response to meet the needs of the estimated 12 million Roma living in Europe.

The “Strasbourg Declaration” includes guiding principles and priorities:
a) Non-discrimination, citizenship, women's and childrens rights.
b) Social inclusion including education, housing and healthcare.
c) Empowerment and better access to justice.

It also foresees the creation of a new European training programme for more than a thousand Roma mediators, who will give legal and administrative advice to communities. Some 440 Roma mediators will be trained in 2011; the figure could rise to over 1000 in the following years, depending on the available resources. The Council of Europe plans to train some 100 lawyers in 2011. Roma mediators and lawyers will work to tackle access to housing, schools, health and jobs, and to link the Roma communities and civil society.

Efforts will build on the expertise of the Council of Europe to develop relevant co-operation with national, regional and local authorities and international organisations.

• ''Strasbourg Declaration''
• ''Strasbourg Initiatives'' - by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
• Speech by Thorbjørn Jagland
• Provisional minutes of the High-Level meeting on Roma

Committee of Ministers

- Compilation of recommendations adopted by the Committee of Ministers on Roma and Travellers

Parliamentary Assembly

- Urgent debate report: Recent rise in national security discourse in Europe: the case of Roma (October 2010)
- Report on the situation of Roma in Europe (June 2010)
http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta10/EREC1924.htm
http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta10/ERES1740.htm
- Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights working document on the situation of Roma (2008)

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

- Resolution 44 (1997)1 “Towards a tolerant Europe: the contribution of Roma”
- Resolution 249 (1993)1 on gypsies in europe : the role and responsibility of local and regional authorities

European Court of Human Rights

- Factsheet on Roma Rights
- Roma rights - main ECHR judgments

Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights

- Positions on the human rights of Roma
- Recent Migration of Roma in Europe, 2nd Edition
- Thematic page on Roma rights

European Social Charter

- European Social Charter and Roma rights

European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)

- Country reports
- The situation of Roma and Travellers in Europe: main human rights standards of the Council of Europe
- ECRI General Policy Recommendation N°3 on combating racism and intolerance against Roma/Gypsies

Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM)

- Country reports

Department for the Execution of Judgments of the ECHR

- Factsheet

Roma and Travellers Division

- Dosta! Campaign
- Roma and Travellers Glossary
- Statistics
- Ensuring access to rights for Roma and Travellers

European Centre for Modern Languages

- Enhancing Romani language education in schools in Europe

Education of Roma Children

Council of Europe Develoment Bank

- Activities of the bank in favour of Roma

Conference of INGO's at the Council of Europe

- Declaration ''Living together as equals in dignity with Roma''