OSCE holds expert meeting on building trust between police and Roma and Sinti communities

VIENNA, 28 October 2009 - A two-day OSCE experts' workshop looking at ways to build trust and understanding between police and Roma and Sinti communities started today in Vienna. 

The event, organized by the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU) in co-operation with the Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, brings together police experts and civil society representatives from 12 OSCE participating States and four international non-governmental organizations as well OSCE officials.

"It is essential that issues related to policing in Roma communities not be addressed in a vacuum, but rather be viewed as integral elements of strategies for Roma and Sinti integration and, where necessary, linked to strategies for more general police reform," said Andrzej Mirga, Senior Adviser on Roma and Sinti Issues at the ODIHR.

"The police should ensure that their own institutional operations are a model of good practice and include the effective participation of Roma, for example through recruiting Roma and creating police and Roma partnerships."

The experts will discuss the first draft of a new OSCE publication titled "Police and Roma and Sinti: Good Practices in Building Trust and Understanding". The booklet, a compilation of good practices to be published in spring 2010, is based on the findings of OSCE expert workshops held between 2005 and 2009 as well as on related reports, materials and recommendations from the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, ODIHR and other OSCE structures as well as international partner organizations.

"Good practices in democratic policing require police services to explore the best way to interact with the communities they serve. Roma communities are present throughout the entire OSCE area, making this topic relevant for all participating States," said Manuel Marion, Acting Head of the SPMU.