The Ministry of Human Rights and Minorities of Montenegro, in collaboration with the Council of Europe and European Union’s Roma Integration Phase III Joint Programme, convened a workshop for developing the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for Social Inclusion for the Roma and Egyptians 2021-2025. The workshop was held on 4-6 March 2024, in Podgorica, Montenegro.
This event brought together a diverse array of participants, including representatives from the National Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of the Roma and Egyptians 2021-2025, the National Coordinating Body for the Implementation of the Poznan Declaration, as well as delegates from the Roma non-governmental sector and international organizations.
The workshop defined the activities for 2024 and 2025 through participatory approach, with the aim of addressing the multifaceted challenges confronting Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro. These challenges include discrimination, civil registration issues, poverty, unemployment, educational barriers, inadequate housing, and healthcare disparities.
The initiative involves collaboration with various national bodies, including representatives from key ministries such as Labour, Interior Affairs, Education, Spatial planning, urbanism and state property, Human Rights, Finance, European affairs, Justice, Culture, and the Ombudsman.
The overarching objective of these activities is to streamline the priorities of the strategic document for the social inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro, ensuring a more coherent and effective approach towards their empowerment and integration. The activity assists the progressive implementation of the EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2020 - 2030 in Montenegro, the 2019 Declaration of Western Balkans partners on Roma integration within the EU enlargement process (Poznan Declaration), and subsequent commitments made by the government at the annual ministerial meetings and endorsed within the Berlin Process Summits. It also reflects the priorities of the Council of Europe Strategic Action Plan for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2020-2025), promoting Roma inclusion.
This activity was realized with the support of the Joint Programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe, Roma Integration III, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe. Roma Integration III is implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo[1], Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye.
[1] This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence
