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.
At an event today organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, the findings of a status report on the implementation of the OSCE Action Plan in the country were discussed. The report, prepared by an international expert, addresses the situation of the Roma community with respect to legislation and law enforcement, police, mass media, housing and living conditions, unemployment and economic problems, health care, access to education, and participation in public and political life.
The Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Natalya Drozd, said: “Integration requires concrete action. The OSCE Mission to Skopje encourages the government to decide upon a clear political course to follow up on the recommendations and conclusions of the first country-specific status report on Roma, and for these to be incorporated in governmental actions. This, in turn, would provide clear guidance for supporting municipalities in the implementation of national public policies for Roma. “
Spiro Ristovski, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy, added: “It is important to engage the Romani people in working towards an inclusive Europe, which cannot be achieved without the integration of all people, especially those living on the margins of different societies. Efforts should include the setting of clear guidelines for progress at the national level, constantly monitoring achievements in relation to those guidelines and exchanging information on approaches to improve the economic status and social inclusion of the Romani population.”
Nezdet Mustafa, Minister without Portfolio and the National Co-ordinator of the Decade for Roma Inclusion and the Strategy for Roma, said that despite the country’s efforts, “the reality of the Roma community remains complex, with the Roma community facing discrimination and many other negative circumstances.”
The Action Plan for Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti in the OSCE Area was adopted in 2003 by the Maastricht Ministerial Council with the objective to ensure that Roma and Sinti are empowered to play a full and equal part in society and to eradicate discrimination against them.