Guidelines Launch: Integrating Roma and Sinti issues in the work of National Human Rights Institutions and National Equality Bodies

The event aims to launch and present the new guidelines, seeking to highlight the essential role of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and National Equality Bodies (NEBs) in addressing the human rights situation of Roma and Sinti communities across Europe.

It will serve as a forum to highlight institutional challenges, share promising practices, and foster engagement around the human rights situation of Roma and Sinti.

The event will bring together invited experts, institutional representatives, and stakeholders from civil society.

Speakers and panellists will meet in person, with additional invited participants joining virtually through a structured and moderated online format.

Through emphasizing both institutional responsibility and opportunity, the publication encourages a more coordinated and informed approach to tackling discrimination and advancing human rights for Roma and Sinti communities.

Registration details (only if relevant):

Participation is by invitation only.

Background:

This work is fully grounded in ODIHR’s mandate stemming from the OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area (Action Plan) which recommends that OSCE participating States create specialized institutions to ensure the implementation of anti-discrimination legislation, including domestic mechanisms to monitor and report on the progress achieved in implementation. The Action Plan notes that ODIHR can provide advice on how participating States' existing mechanisms, such as ombudsman offices, commissions for combating discrimination, and other relevant bodies, can alleviate tensions between Roma and Sinti and non-Roma communities.