Meeting on Roma Youth Action Plan

On March 10th-11th partners of the Roma Youth Action Plan met in Strasbourg as a follow-up to the Roma Youth Conference that took place last October. The focus of the meeting of the “Informal Contact Group” was to finalise the key priorities, activities and strategic partners for the next Roma Youth Action Plan (2016-2020) of the Council of Europe.

Three European Roma youth networks were represented, TernYpe, Phiren Amenca and Forum of European Roma Young People (FERYP). The European Youth Forum was also represented as a member of the Informal Contact Group. The meeting was organised by the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.

There were six areas of key priorities discussed at the meeting: strengthening Roma youth identity, Roma youth participation and building a stronger Roma youth movement, human rights and human rights education, combatting discrimination and antigypsyism, supporting access to social rights and entrepreneurship, and addressing multiple discrimination and fostering gender equality.

On March 2nd the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a Thematic Action Plan on the Inclusion of Roma and Travellers, a positive step in Roma youth being mainstreamed within policies on Roma. One of the Plan’s three priorities is on the inclusion of vulnerable groups and it contains a specific objective on strengthening the self-organisation and participation of young Roma and Travellers. Though a positive step, there is still much to be done in mainstreaming youth in Roma policies that are being implemented.

Roma youth networks emphasised the need for the Roma Youth Action Plan to move beyond a European-level initiative, and to inform actions and initiatives at national and local level as well. Another issue raised was funding for both the Thematic Action Plan and the Roma Youth Action Plan. Both plans rely on primarily on voluntary contributions from Member States of the Council of Europe, and funding is significantly lacking. There is particular concern over securing funding for the Roma Youth Action Plan beyond 2017, which has not been done yet.

The Joint Council on Youth of the Council of Europe will vote on the revised Roma Youth Action Plan (2016-2020) during its next session, 21st-23rd of March.

From 4th April- 8thApril the European Parliament and a group of NGOs, including the European Youth Forum, will host Roma Week to celebrate International Roma Day and the 45th anniversary of the First Romani World Congress. Watch to learn more about antigypsyism and Roma Week.