High time: How does Europe monitor the rights of Roma in Ukraine?

Advocacy

Representatives of NGOs, Ukrainian state authorities, EU, and UN have convened in Kyiv to discuss the rights and issues pertaining to the Romani community in Ukraine. Why is this important and why our future depends on it? Listen to the Ai Tu Jianes podcast and find out.

Within a conference entitled «Restoration of Ukraine and Prospects of Civil Society for Ukrainian Roma» attended by representatives of EU, UN, state authorities, NGOs, and international partners.

The Conference was organised by ARСA Youth Agency for the Advocacy of Romani Culture in collaboration with the Ukrainian State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience and Central Council of German Roma and Sinti People. The event was supported by EU Representative Office in Ukraine and the German Foreign Office.

«This year's conference was dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is our opinion that the reconstruction of Ukraine not only means physical rebuilding of its infrastructure but also reconstruction of the entire society. The society must get rid of those burdens and problems which we had experienced in the pre-war period», — explained Volodymyr Yakovenko, the Executive Director of ARСA Youth Agency for Romani Culture Advocacy.

The Conference was opened by Katarina Maternova, EU Ambassador in Ukraine. She emphasised that the attitude towards minorities is an important indicator of Ukraine's readiness to EU accession.

«Ms Katarina Maternova as well as other guests from abroad noted that there is not one country that would have been perfect. Anti-Gypsyism, discrimination against the Romani community can likewise be observed elsewhere in the EU. What is of interest to us here, though, is the level (degree) of such discrimination. Ukraine has made a step ahead and recognises that Romanis are one of the most vulnerable strata of population. Occasionally, though, it is anti-Gypsyism that is not being recognised by the state. Which is why we want the state to listen to our recommendations—to the recommendations of the Romani civil society. The case in point is not some kind of a privileged position for the Romani community; the case in point is merely equality», — added Volodymyr Yakovenko.

The agenda of panel discussions within the conference covered issues and challenges within the Romani community: humanitarian issues, accommodation issues, matters pertaining to employment and education, the role of Romanis in modern-day Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction, combating anti-Gypsyism and support received from the state in these processes. As it had been noted earlier, as per recent researches published by SeeD, USAID та UNDP, 35% of Ukraine's population have an unfavourable opinion of the Romani presence in their communities.

You can listen to the full version of this podcast by opening the audio file attached.