Roma and Sinti

Young Roma activists at an OSCE-supported meeting addressing the establishment of Youth Roma Council; Pale, 23 July 2019 (OSCE/Edib Jahic) Photo details

Recognizing the issues hindering the inclusion of Roma, the Mission works to increase the access of Roma citizens to governmental authorities and human rights institutions. With respect to access to social rights, and due to the fact that Roma communities and other people in situations of vulnerability continue to face obstacles in accessing social protection, healthcare and health insurance, the Mission works to ensure individuals have access to their rights without discrimination.

The Mission provides targeted support and advice to the Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Roma Advisory Board and the country’s Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, with a view to combating discrimination and prejudice against Roma and ensuring their full and effective participation in governmental bodies and structures, as well as addressing problems in the areas of housing, health and education.

The Mission’s network of field offices and field-based Roma Focal Points have placed the Mission in an advantageous position to assess the needs of each individual Roma community and work with local governments to address these needs. The Mission also supports the implementation of the Revised Action Plan on Roma Educational Needs and Teaching about National Minorities.

In order to ensure that minorities have access to adequate housing solutions, the Mission supports the development of inclusive social housing policies at all levels of government, ensuring that they are in line with international human rights standards. These include the development of social housing policies, action plans, and strategies, as it is already envisaged in the existing legal framework governing social housing issues. The Mission advocates for the provision of adequate housing for vulnerable Roma citizens.