On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of International Roma Day, on April 8th, the Roma Council of Ukraine and the NGO “Roma Women’s Fund “Chiricli” held a meeting with the delegation from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe. During the meeting, the following issues were discussed:
Furthermore, aspirations for collaboration between Roma NGOs and the ECRI in advocating for and endorsing the Roma National Program were expressed.
Later in the day, the leaders of both organizations held a press conference in observance of International Roma Day. They provided a comparative analysis of changes in the situation of Roma since the inception of the Roma movement, outlined the integration issues Roma face in Ukrainian society, and discussed the prospects for the development of Roma communities in Ukraine.
The problems faced by Roma were discussed during a roundtable discussion attended by Roma organizations from various regions of Ukraine: Odessa, Kherson, Zakarpattia, Kharkiv, Lviv, as well as representatives from international organizations and ministries. The welcoming address was delivered by Benjamin Berry, Head of the Political Section at the US Embassy in Ukraine. Key speakers included Alla Sanchenko, representative of the Institute of Legislation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Yana Tiapkina, representative of the International Organization for Migration (IOM); Yulia Kondur, President of the International Charitable Organization “Roma Women’s Fund “Chiricli”; Natalia Kiyak, Program Manager for “Roma in Ukraine”; and Yuri Ivanenko, Head of the international organization “Ketane” and Chair of the Ukrainian Roma Council.
