The EU expects Serbian authorities, local self-government and Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to help strengthening the role of Roma NGOs, but also to work together on all other elements of the project European Support for Roma Inclusion in order to fight against Roma marginalisation, Yolanda San Jose of the EU Delegation to Serbia told a project conference.
“It is very important that this project will help Roma organisations to participate in the planning processes for Roma inclusion in local self-government, and to monitor and advocate for the implementation of the commitments by local self-governments,” San Jose said at the conference “Role and importance of cooperation of CSOs and local self-governments in implementation of Roma policies at the local level.”
The project is aimed at providing legal aid and help for registration of Roma in birth records as well as improving their access to welfare, health and public services. The project’s goal is also the stabilisation of Roma pupils’ inclusion in the high schools and to prepare a large plan to improve the housing situation. One of the project’s aims is to help finding employment for Roma, both through improved employability as well as self-entrepreneurship.
“Let me tell you however that we know there is a fundamental imbalance between the available resources and what still needs to be done to achieve a satisfying level of integration for Roma people,” San Jose said.
“That is why probably we should not only number out the ‘amounts’ but also talk of ‘how-things-should-be-done’. The mobile teams are the perfect example of what I am saying; the elements constituting each team: the Roma municipal coordinators, the Health Mediators, the Pedagogical Assistants, the staff from the Centres for Social Welfare and from the Employment Service; they were all already there.
“Bringing them together, allowing them to coordinate, exchange information and ideas, plan ahead in a consolidated manner, this is the objective of this project’s component,” she said, referring to 20 mobile teams that the EU-funded project have been established and equipped.
“We need to reflect on how this experience could be transferred one step up,” San Jose said.
According to her, stronger and more consolidated coordination at the central level is needed to ensure that the resources dedicated to the objective of Roma integration can produce large and durable impacts.
There is also a need for stronger dialogue between the centre and the local and regional levels to ensure the full involvement of the local communities.
“We need to ensure that all governmental bodies embrace with determination and conviction the fight against discrimination, awarding positive behaviours and penalising the negative ones, both at the institutional and individual levels,” San Jose said.
“The European Union will of course continue to be your main partner and donor in your efforts, and we will deliver on our commitment to fight for a fair and inclusive society, which is also a precondition to a cohesive society as well as economic growth and welfare, in Serbia and in Europe,” she said.
The project is implemented by the OSCE, the beneficiary is the Office for Human and Minority Rights. Other partners on the project are other ministries and government bodies – Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, SIPRU team, the Council on Improving the Situation of Roma, the Roma National Minority Council, and Roma Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) engaged in the process of developing Local Action Plans.
