The conference was opened by MP Srdjan Sajn who stressed the need to raise the countries’ capacity for Roma integration, as well as raise the capacity of the youth which can be achieved through education and their increased participation in various activities in the integration process.

The Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia Adriano Martins said that the Roma must have the same rights as any other citizen, particularly as regards the issuance of personal documents, have the same chances in the employment process, as well as same rights in the sphere of health care. The European Union has launched various projects aimed at promoting Roma inclusion, largely assisted by the civil sector. Martins stated that the situations leading to Roma abuse need constant supervision.

The Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade Antje Rothemund stressed that the fact that Roma inclusion was being discussed on the day of a plenary session showed that the issue has gained importance. The Council of Europe uses a series of mechanisms to address the issue, ranging from analysing the position of Roma, cooperation with the Ombudsman and other organisations dealing with the issue to the work of the international organisation’s committees. She urged for the creation of a database on the national Roma strategy policies accompanied by a continuous supervision of their impact.

The Head of the OSCE Democratisation Department in Serbia Jan Lueneburg said that the Mission recognised the importance of the issue of inclusion and applauded the adoption of the national Roma strategy which was a significant step forward in the sphere of human rights protection. The OSCE Mission will continue to protect and support the Roma community in Serbia, Lueneburg added.

The representatives of the civil sector emphasised that the programmes discussed today have never been fully implemented in practice, adding that the fact that the average Serbian citizen showed no interest in the Roma issue remained a major problem. It is necessary to improve the mechanisms of supervision over the implementation of the programme and action plans, and the Roma National Minority Council must again gain importance. The issue of illegal settlements, pedagogic assistants to help education, as well as adopting by-laws which would reduce the discrimination in education are of key importance for Roma integration. The representatives of the civil sector commended the work of the Roma Women’s Network, as well as the League for the Decade of Roma.

The MPs who took part in the conference stressed the need for a more pronounced inclusion of Roma into the social community, with a major focus on addressing the problem of residence and availability of education and heath care.

The second part of the conference saw a presentation of the work of the Academy for Leadership which enables young people from different social and ethnic backgrounds to perfect their leadership skills and join various social projects through practical work.