The Final Conference of the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Programme “ROMACTED II: Promoting Good Governance and Roma Empowerment at Local Level” took place in Istanbul, marking the successful conclusion of this transformative initiative.

The event, hosted by Şişli Municipality, brought together key stakeholders, including high-level representatives from the Council of Europe, the European Commission, mayors and local officials, Roma community leaders, civil society organisations, and Programme facilitators from Western Balkans and Türkiye.

The conference began with welcoming remarks delivered by Hallvard Gorseth, Head of the Anti-discrimination Department of the Directorate of Equal Rights and Dignity at the Council of Europe, who highlighted the importance of anti-discrimination efforts of the Council of Europe in the region. Laurent Guirkinger, First Counsellor of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, underlined the European Union's commitment to supporting inclusion and empowerment initiatives. Tomislav Žigmanov, Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue of Serbia, expressed his appreciation for the regional collaboration fostered by the Programme. Resul Emrah Şahan, Mayor of Şişli Municipality in Istanbul, welcomed participants and emphasised the significance of local-level concrete engagement in improving the lives of the Roma.

Following these opening remarks, while Enrica Chiozza, Head of Sector for Civil Society, Social Inclusion, and Human Capital Development at the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, discussed the EU's efforts to support Roma communities in Türkiye and the Western Balkans, Claus Neukirch, Director of Programme Co-ordination at the Council of Europe, reflected on the ROMACTED Programme’s achievements and its contribution to advancing human rights and inclusion in the region.

Implemented in seven beneficiaries including Türkiye and the countries from Western Balkans since 2017, the ROMACTED Programme aimed to enhance the socio-economic inclusion of Roma communities by strengthening participatory governance and empowering Roma voices in local decision-making processes.

Closing conference, attended by over 200 participants, served as a platform to reflect on the Programme's achievements, share lessons learned, and discuss ways to sustain its positive impact.

The conference highlighted following key results achieved under the ROMACTED II Programme:

• Establishment of Community Action Groups (CAGs) and Municipal Taskforce Groups (MTGs) in 114 municipalities across Türkiye and the Western Balkans, facilitating structured dialogue between Roma communities and local authorities.
• Adoption of 100 Joint Action Plans prioritising community needs, leading to the successful implementation of 253 small-scale initiatives in areas such as education, employment, housing, and infrastructure.
• Implementation of capacity-building activities for over 1,000 local government representatives and community members, with a focus on Roma Responsive Budgeting and gender equality.
• Strengthened collaboration between local administrations, civil society, and Roma communities to promote inclusive governance and combat discrimination.