Within the framework of the First EU-CoE ROMACTED II Regional Steering Committee Meeting, held in Skopje on 23 May, a joint event was organised with the Regional Cooperation Council/ Roma Integration on the topic of Roma Responsive Budgeting - Promising Practices and Sustainable Models of Operation.

The event gathered together 57 participants throughout the Western Balkans and Turkey, both online and in-person. The agenda incorporated following panelists:

• NORTH MACEDONIA

Arabela Iljaz, Senior Associate, Ministry of Education and Science

• SERBIA

Maja Majić Latić, IPA Programming for Health and Social Policies, Ministry of European Integration

• MONTENEGRO

Aleksandra Tošković, Ministry of Finance,

Marko Sošić, ROMACTED II thematic consultant on Roma and Egyptian Responsive Budgeting

• BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Ljubiša Stanišić, Head of Department for National Minorities- ROMACTED 2 Contact Point, City of Bijeljina

• ALBANIA

Screening of the short video about the ROMACTED process in Albania

Raimonda Duka, Thematic consultant on Roma and Egyptian Responsive Budgeting, Albania

• KOSOVO*

Sakibe Jashari, ROMACTED II Project Officer, Council of Europe Office in Pristina

The discussion focused on promising practices and sustainable models for performing Roma Responsive Budgeting both at the local and central level of governance. The panel elaborated on the administrative and legislative processes that are already in place and/or are required in order to ensure that programming of public and donor funds is performed as prescribed with the Roma Responsive Budgeting guidelines. Additionally, the discussion provided ground for a common understanding among policy makers on the necessary steps for institutional coordination while preparing and implementing mainstream and targeted measures for the benefit of Roma integration.

Roma Responsive Budgeting is one of the three thematic components of ROMACTED Phase II. The cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council/ Roma Integration has been strengthen in this regard, with the organisation of workshops at local level in North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The media gallery from the event is available here.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.