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Press releases and media advisories
OSCE human rights chief welcomes declaration of official Roma genocide remembrance day in Poland
WARSAW, 29 July 2011 – Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), welcomed today’s decision by the Polish parliament to declare 2 August as the official Roma and Sinti Genocide Remembrance Day...
OSCE human rights chief calls for end to segregation and discrimination against Roma children in Czech schools
WARSAW, 21 June 2011 – Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said more must to be done to end the persisting segregation and discrimination of Roma children in the Czech school system following the release of a United Nations report today...
Kosovo institutions fall short in supporting integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, says OSCE report
PRISHTINЁ/PRIŠTINA, 9 May 2011 – While there has been progress in some areas, Kosovo institutions still are not creating adequate conditions for integration of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, is a conclusion of report presented today by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo...
Violence, discrimination faced by Roma in Europe unacceptable, says OSCE human rights chief
WARSAW, 6 May 2011 – Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, the head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today described violence targeting Roma and Sinti in Europe as "unacceptable"...
OSCE Mission to Serbia head marks International Roma Day
BELGRADE, 8 April 2010 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Dimitrios Kypreos, in recognition of the International Day of Roma, today expressed his hope that the Roma community will be fully included in Serbian society... ()
On International Roma Day, OSCE rights office says better census data needed to aid Roma integration
WARSAW, 8 April 2011 – On the occasion of International Roma Day, the head of the Contact Point on Roma and Sinti Issues of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Andrzej Mirga, today called on OSCE States to make use of censuses as a way to improve data on Europe’s Roma...
OSCE Mission to Skopje calls for improving situation of Roma
SKOPJE, 8 April 2011 – The OSCE Mission to Skopje today marked International Roma Day by urging institutions to improve the situation of Roma in the country by implementing the recommendations contained in the OSCE Action Plan for Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti in the OSCE Area...
Head of OSCE Presence in Albania urges Roma to exercise their right to vote on 8 May
TIRANA, 7 April 2011 - Speaking on the occasion of International Roma Day, the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, today called on all members of the Roma community to exercise their democratic right to vote in the local government elections, scheduled for 8 May... ()
OSCE, U.S. and EU urge Albanian authorities to investigate removal of Roma families, provide social assistance to displaced
TIRANA, 16 March 2011 – Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Alexander Arvizu, the U.S. Ambassador to Albania, Ambassador Ettore Sequi, the Head of the EU Delegation to Albania, made the following statement today concerning recent incidents involving Roma families... ()
OSCE Chairperson marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, emphasizes importance of tolerance education
VILNIUS, 27 January 2011 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day today with a call for OSCE participating States to further intensify efforts to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and promote remembrance and education... ()