Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

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
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