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Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma Issues

Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma Issues The I-CARE UNIT. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues. WHAT ARE WE DOING?. The I-CARE Unit is one of the two Units of the SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues.

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Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma Issues

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  1. Support Team of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Roma Issues The I-CARE UNIT

  2. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues WHAT AREWE DOING? • The I-CARE Unit is one of the twoUnits of the SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues. • I-CARE stands for: Inter-governmentalCo-operation, Anti-Gypsyism and Roma Equality. • The I-CARE Unit deals with: • Intergovernmentalcooperation (CAHROM) • Policy advice(e.g. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rep. Moldova, Ukraine) • Exchanging good practices (online database / thematicwork) • Discrimination and racism/anti-Gypsyism (incl. awarenessraisingthrough the Dosta! campaign, training of legalprofessionals, lawenforcement bodies, prison staff, media, schoolteachers, etc.) (in co-operationwith relevant sectors) • Roma women and youthempowerment, as well as Roma children’seducation(in co-operationwith relevant sectors) • Gendermainstreaming(Roma women) inside/outside the CoE

  3. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues WHO ARE WE? STAFF OF THE I-CARE UNIT • Michaël GUET, Head of Unit & Secretary of CAHROM • Riccardo MATTEI, National Seconded Official • Isabela MIHALACHE, Project manager (paid on VC) • Ljiljana STOJISAVLJEVIĆ, Assistant and webmaster • Administrator (A1 vacant) + Assistant (B2/B3 needed)

  4. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CO-OPERATION • The Ad Hoc Committee of Experts on Roma Issues (CAHROM) • http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/cahrom • Since 2011 as a successorCommittee of MG-S-ROM (1995-2010 – 30 meetings; 27 MS) • 40 appointedexperts in CAHROM + all main international partners as observers • 2 plenary meetings a year (Strasbourg/abroad) + 2 Bureau meetings (3 Bureau members); • 4 Rapporteurs: genderequality (FI); youth (HR); children (CZ); anti-Gypsyism/hate crime (UK) • Terms of Reference (adopted Feb.2011; renewed for 2014-2015): • Study, analyse and evaluate the implementation of policies (national strategies, programmes and/or action plans); • Exchange information, views and experience on member States’ policies, good practices and measures relating to Roma at national, regional and local level; • Preparerecommendations, declarations and opinions for the CM; • Link to Roma referencetexts and tools: http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/roma-related-texts • Draw-up guidelines for the development and/or implementation of policies which promote the rights of the Roma ; • Keep under review the situation of Roma in member States ; • Prepare, review and evaluate its programme of activities &working methods and report back to the CM via the GR-SOC (first evaluation conducted in 2012).

  5. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues CAHROM THEMATIC WORK 1/6 • Reference documents • CAHROM (2011)15 CAHROM working methods • CAHROM (2013)10 Revised Terms of Reference for 2014-2015 • CAHROM (2013)26 Guidelines for thematic groups and visits • Size and composition: A CAHROM thematic group is composed of 1 requesting and 3 to 4 partner countries (exceptionally 2 or 5). The CAHROM Bureau decides about the size and composition of each group.   • Requesting country: country interested to learn more from the proposed topic (e.g. a new legislation/policy under preparation; topic addressed but does not bring sufficient results; new area under the national Roma strategy/action plan, etc.). Requesting countries host of a 2.5 day visit of partner countries’ experts. • Partner country has some experience to offer in this particular area or has learnt some lessons from previous experience addressing this topic. • Budget: the CoE budget covers travel and subsistence costs of partner countries’ experts participating in the thematic visit. The hosting country shall provide a venue, local transportation to field visits if needed, and, where applicable, interpretation. • Follow-up: one year after the thematic visit, requesting and partner countries report back about any developments in CAHROM plenary meetings. • Visibility: Endorsed thematic reports by the CAHROM are accessible online at: http://hub.coe.int/web/coe-portal/cahrom1.

  6. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues CAHROM THEMATIC WORK 2/6 Education • CAHROM (2012)6 Thematic report on school drop out and absenteeism of Roma children • The Netherlands (requesting country) • Hungary, Spain , Sweden (partner countries) • CAHROM (2012)18 Thematic report on inclusive education for Roma children as opposed to special schools • CzechRepublic & SlovakRepublic (requesting countries) • Hungary, Slovenia, United Kingdom (partners) • CAHROM (2013)5 Thematic report on school attendance for Roma children, in particular Roma girls • Finland (requesting country) • Latvia, Norway, Sweden (partner countries) • CAHROM (2014)21 Thematic report on inclusive pre-school education for Roma children • CzechRepublic (requesting country) • Hungary, Latvia, Poland, “FYR. Macedonia” (partners)

  7. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues CAHROM THEMATIC WORK 3/6 Housing • CAHROM (2012)8 Thematic report on social housing for Roma • “FYR Macedonia” (requesting country) • Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Spain (partner countries) • CAHROM (2013)6 Thematic report on encampment areas and other issues relating to Travellers • Belgium(requesting country) • France, Switzerland, United Kingdom (partner countries) • CAHROM (2013)18 Thematic report on social housing for Roma and legalisation of Roma settlements/houses • Albania (requestingcountry) • Bosnia and Herzegovina, “FYR Macedonia” (partner countries) • CAHROM (2014)4 Thematic report on (re-)housing solutions for Roma and alternative measures to (forced) evictions • Serbia (requestingcountry) • Greece, Slovak Republic, Spain (partners)

  8. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues CAHROM THEMATIC WORK 4/6 Implementation of Roma inclusion strategies/action plans • CAHROM (2012)7 Thematic report on the role of central, regional and local authorities in implementing Roma inclusion strategies • Republic of Moldova (requesting country) • Finland, Romania, Slovenia (partners) Anti-Gypsyism and hate speech/crime • CAHROM (2013)21 Thematic report on combating anti-Gypsyism & hate speech against Roma • Hungary(requesting country) • Czech Republic, Italy, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom (partners) Legal status and personal /identity documents • CAHROM (2014)10 Thematic report on the legal status of Roma from ex-Yugoslavia and lack of ID • Italy (requesting country) • Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, “FYR. Macedonia” (partners) Gender • CAHROM (2014)11 Thematic report on Roma women empowerment and gender dimension of Roma inclusion strategies • Lithuania (requestingcountry) • Finland, Italy, Republic of Moldova, Spain (partners) Language • CAHROM (2014)17 Thematic report on languages spoken by Roma • Croatia (requesting country) • Austria, Hungary, Romania, Slovak Republic (partner countries)

  9. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues CAHROM THEMATIC WORK 5/6 For 2015, member States that have already expressed an interest to participate in one of the proposed thematic groups include as requesting countries Albania, France, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Spain; as partner countries Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

  10. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues FUTURE CAHROM THEMATIC WORK 6/6 Thematic group on addressing and combating human trafficking within Roma communities with a focus on street children and prostitution • Abania(requesting country) • Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Romania (partners) Thematic group on school inclusion in favour of Roma (migrants) children and access to education and distance learning for Traveller children • France (requesting country) • Albania, Belgium, Denmark (tbc), Italy (tbc), Norway (tbc), Switzerland (tbc) (partners) Thematic group on the empowerment of Roma youth and youth dimension of Roma policies • Slovenia (requesting country) • Belgium, Croatia, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovak Republic (partners) Thematic group on on gender equality education, with a focus on early and/or forced marriages and domestic violence within Roma communities • Romania (requesting country) • Italy, Republic of Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom (tbc)(partners) Thematic group on vocational training/education • Poland(requesting country) • Finland, Turkey (partner countries) Thematic group on Roma empowerment & participation in advisory bodies/decision-making process • Ireland & Spain (requestingcountries) • Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Sweden (partner countries)

  11. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues Example: Education issues and obstacles Roma families face multiple issues, (poverty, unemployment, debt, domestic violence, etc.) which leads to more attention being paid by the family on solving socio-economic issues rather than on children’s education. School drop-outs, absenteeism and lack of school enrollment (due to tendency for overprotection; low education of Roma parents; lack of dialogue between schools and parents; fear of assimilation; travelling way of life; early marriage...) A lower expectation from teachers concerning Roma children, lower quality education provided to Roma children and a lack of knowledge of Roma culture and history. School segregation, special classes and enrolment in schools for mentally disabled. Negative attitude and perception from non-Roma parents, and sometimes school professionals based on prejudice and stereotypes. Refusal from schools/local authorities to accept Roma or Traveller children. Language barriers (many children speak Romani at home and have little knowledge of national language). Other barriers include lack of ID, ghettoisation/housing segregation, constant evictions, health problems...

  12. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues Example: Housing issues (sedentary Roma) • Access to social housing and criteria for beneficiaries • Availability, affordability & quality of housing • Access to property • Security of tenure • Definition of temporary housing • Legalization of illegal buildings/settlements • Financial means for re-/construction • Re-housing programmes • Conditions & alternatives to forcedevictions • Segregation (voluntary or de facto) • Mapping of Roma settlements • Participation of Roma in decision-making/implementation • Micro-credits for reconstruction

  13. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues Example: Housing issues addressed(Travellers) • Recognition of the caravan as a house • Sufficient provision of halting sites • Configuration and localisation of halting sites • Criteria for accessing halting sites • Infrastructure for both short or long stays • Land property • Charges and/or fees for halting areas • Administrative attachment to a municipality • Relationship with the neighbourhood • Fleet insurance policy • Practical handbook/online info for Travellers • Financial assistance from the state/local authorities • Consultation mechanisms for Travellers

  14. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues IMPACT & RESULTS OF THE CAHROM 1/3 Is a unique inter-governmental forum in Europe and gathersmost relevant international partners • Includes 40 out of 41 member States with Roma population (except Armenia) + Holy See + international partners (EC-various DGs; FRA; OSCE-ODIHR; UNHCR; UNDP; IOM; World Bank, etc.) + international NGOS (ERTF; FERYP; Amnesty International; REF; OSF; ERRC; Roma Decade Secretariat, EEA & Norway Grants, etc.) • Heterogeneous profile of members (Roma and non Roma; variousministries; anti-discrimination bodies; parliamentarians, local authorities, NGOs) - Romani language as 3rd workinglanguage • genderbalanced (20 men / 20 women) Set new standards and provided guidelines for implementation: - The CM adopted Rec(2012)9 on Mediation providing guidelines for MS on effective mediation Raisedawareness at highestlevel: • The CM adopted a Declaration on the Rise of Anti-Gypsyism and racist violence against Roma but failed to have the CM adopt a Declaration on the genocide of Roma during WWII Providedits opinion to the CM: - The CAHROM transmitted its Opinion on PACE Rec 2003(2012) on Roma migrants and on Congress Rec. 354(2014) on Roma youth participation Developedinnovative and more efficient workingmethods: • Increasingnumber of requests for thematic groups & topics • The GR-SOC/CM encouragedotherCoEcommittees to use similarthematicworkingmethods • Appointed 4 Committee rapporteurs and encouragedotherCommmittee to appoint a rapporteur for Roma issues/anti-Gypsyism (CDDH, CDPPE, CDDECS, DECS-ENF, etc.)

  15. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues IMPACT & RESULTS OF THE CAHROM 2/3 Addressestopical issues for bothmember States and Roma communities / has a rich agenda: - The CAHROM not onlyaddresses discrimination and violations of the humanrights of Roma (schoolsegregation; anti-Gypsyism; hate speech; negativeportrayal; freedom to leaveone’s country, etc.) but alsochallenging issues within certain Roma communities (earlymarriage; trafficking in humanbeings; domestic violence, school drop-out and absenteeism, etc.). - Peer-to-peer exchanges of experience and practices are more effective and results-oriented (itis a response to specificneeds; only countries having a similarinterest are involved) Ensures coordination/synergies withotherCoEsectors and international partners: - International partners are given a possibility to update the CAHROM withrecentdevelopments and/or raise the attention of the Committee about topical issues. - Exchanges of viewswith the Congress/Alliance, PACE, Commissioner for HumanRights and his Office, GRETA, Children’sRights Division, ECRI, Language Charter, Bioethics Division, etc.; - Possibility for otherCoEsectors to jointhematicvisits (Children’sRights Division on pre-schooleducation and YouthSector on Roma youthempowerment and youthmainstreaming); - The European Commission (DG Justice) startedtaking part in CAHROM thematicvisits; wasasked to avoid duplication with CAHROM in NRCP context and to use CAHROM thematic reports. Gives the possibilityfor Roma to raisetheirconcernsand express themselves in Romani: - The ERTF has a representativecovered by the CAHROM budget; - Main documents (recommendations, agenda, reports, etc.) are translatedinto Romani; - The CAHROM helpedcreating a pool of interpreters an translators in Romani language.

  16. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues IMPACT & RESULTS OF THE CAHROM 3/3 Effectiveness of small-size peer-to-peerunderlined by requesting countries. Someexamples of resultsfrom CAHROM thematicvisits/reports: • Pilot project for inclusive education in severalSlovakmunicipalities • Institutionalisation of mediators (Rep. Moldova – jointlywith ROMED) • Inclusion of good/innovative practices in new Roma strategy (Latvia) • New studies to assess Roma girls and boys’ schoolattendance (Finland) • Announcement of lifting the reservationunder the ECRML whichwillbenefit the languagesspoken by Roma (Croatia) • Inclusion of gender (Roma women) in new Roma strategy (Lithuania) • Pressure exercised on educationalreform (CzechRepublic) • Inclusion of Italy in UNHCR & Western Balkan meetings on solving the legalstatus and lack of ID documents • New legislation to legalizeinformalsettlements (Serbia, Slovakia), etc.

  17. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues NEW PRIORITIES & QUESTIONS RAISED • Ensurethat all member States are regularlypresent and active in CAHROM (withless turnover of members) • Leavemore space for debate(incl. thematic reports) & lesspresentations • Defineindicators to assessimplementation of CoE standards/Rec… • ReconsiderRoma civil society participation in CAHROM pending discussion between SG and CM • Ensuresynergies and avoid duplication with EU National Roma Contact Point (NRCP) meetings and Roma Decade ISC meetings • Ensurethat all member states getinvolved in thematic groups • Limited thematicfocus (e.g. education & housing) v. broadenapproach • Transform CAHROM in a SteeringCommitteeinstead of an Ad hoc Committee • Reintroduce the terminology « Roma and Travellers» v. just « Roma  »

  18. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues TRANSVERSAL APPROACH • Congress Rapporteur on Roma and Traveller Issues & the Alliance (CAHROM, local authorities and database) • GRETA, Lanzarote Committee, Children’sRights Division, ERTF (earlymarriage/domestic violence/trafficking) • Execution of Jugdments, ESF, ECRI, Commissioner for HumanRights, Language Charter not enoughwith FCNM (monitoring, database) • PACE Rapporteur on anti-discrimination, gendercommittee) • Criminal Law Dpt, HELP programme, SOGI (training) • GenderEquality Division, SOGI, YouthSector, ERTF (training, youth and gendermainstreaming, etc.) • PACE, CDDH, DECS-ENF, BioethicsCommittee(anti-Gypsyism rapporteur, mainstreaming of Roma issues ) • ERTF, DC, Congress (Dosta! campaign) • Strategic Partnership Unit of SRSG Roma (mediation, local authorities) Planned in the future: police, media Division, CPT (prison) (training)

  19. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues ONLINE DATABASE ON GOOD PRACTICES http://goodpracticeroma.ppa.coe.int/en • Set up in 2011 as a result of the Strasbourg Declaration • Online tool for policymakers, NGOs, researchers, students, international partners • 3 types of good practices: promising, demonstrated, replicated • Experts’ registry (14 experts registered) • Geolocalisationmap • Searchengine (per country/theme/national, regionallocal levels) • Content overview in one click; statistics (number of viewers) • Validation of good practices by HRCom, Congress, Dosta, OSCE, EU, Decade… • Practices are deleted if challenged by civil society/otheractors Recentdevelopments: • 78 good practices online in English (46 in French) from 24 member states + Kosovo* - 51 demonstrated; 11 replicated; 16 promising • People startusing the database to exchange GP and submit practices directly • Databasecirculated to 123 municipalities of the Alliance network For the future: • develop the policies part withoutduplicatingotherwebsites & experts’ directory • Ensurethat good practices are all translatedintoboth official languages

  20. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues DOSTA! CAMPAIGN • In 2005-2009 as joint CoE/EU Roma programmes; since 2008 open to all CoE MS • Launched in 17 member states + Kosovo* ; Financiallysupported by Finland (VC) • Multilingualwebsitewww.dosta.org(toolkit, leaflet, calendar, radio/video spots, CD • 3 objectives: addressstereotypes and prejudice; combat anti-Gypsyism; promote Roma culture, history, language and positive image – isnationallyimplemented • Activities: public debates, music/theatre festivals, media training, streetevents, schoolawareness, Roma history promotion, photos and drawingcompetitionsand exhibitions, testimonials, CongressDosta! prize, Roma Pride… Recentdevelopments: 2013: launchin Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain; 2015: in Latvia • Brainstorming at CAHROM about the impact and new approach (May 2014) • Roma Pride in 14 countries (CoE support in FR, HU, MK, TR) • International Seminar on Roma HistoryTeaching (Rome, Italy, 11-12 Dec. 2014) For the future: • Develop new approaches (shopping list, training) to increase MS involvement • Encourage member states to includeDosta/awarenessraising in national Roma strategy and budgeting (good practices in Italy and Slovenia) • Encourage other countries to join (BE, CH, CZ, FI, FR, HU, IE, NO, SE, TR, etc.) • Developrolemodels (self-esteem) – e.g. Montenegrine and French exhibitions.

  21. The I-CARE Unit SRSG Support Team for Roma Issues THANK YOU! Contacts: CAHROM / GENERAL FOR I-CARE UNIT / FINANCE Michaël Guet – michael.guet@coe.int DATABASE / POLICE TRAINING & CAMPS IN ITALY Riccardo Mattei – riccardo.mattei@coe.int ROMA WOMEN / ANTI-DISCRIMINATION TRAINING IsabelaMihalache – isabela.mihalache@coe.int DOSTA! CAMPAIGN LjiljanaStojisavljevic – ljiljana.stojisavljevic@coe.int

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