The Roma human rights community has recently stepped up its efforts to advocate for Ukraine to join the Decade of Roma Inclusion international initiative.
The Roma human rights community has recently stepped up its efforts to advocate for Ukraine to join the Decade of Roma Inclusion international initiative. Ukrainian organizations and international programs, including the Congress of Ethnic Communities of Ukraine and the Roma Program Initiative of the International Renaissance Foundation, are supporters of the initiative.
The efforts apply to all regions of Ukraine where Roma rights NGOs work. On October 10 the Department of Nationalities and Religion of the Zakarpattya Oblast Administration organized consultations with Roma groups to discuss the benefits and prospects of Ukraine joining the Decade of Roma Inclusion.
The issue of Ukraine joining the Decade has been raised numerous times by the executive government and has the support of the local Roma community. It would give Ukraine access to best practices for Roma integration used in other countries, expand educational programs for Roma children, and give access to other social programs for Roma that have been successful in other countries.
The consultations convinced the participants of the expediency of Ukraine joining the Decade. Aladar Adam, Head of the Association of Roma NGOs “Yekhipe” said the following about the meeting: “It’s very good that our country has finally expressed interest in joining this platform that unites many European countries. But the most important issue is Ukraine’s responsibility for the obligations it has assumed, particularly the financing of the national action plan.”
