Upcoming Priorities for the ERRC Under New Leadership

18 June 2007

My name is Vera Egenberger and I am the newly appointed Executive Director of the European Roma Rights Centre. I was assigned this post after 15 years of professional involvement in non-discrimination and anti-racism work at both national and international levels, as well as intensive involvement in grassroots work. My strong conviction to see equal rights implemented for ALL has driven me in my professional and voluntary work since entering this field. Prior to joining the ERRC, I headed the European Network against Racism (ENAR) for 6 years and worked for the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Human Rights Institute of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, based in Warsaw. In both of these assignments, I had the opportunity to learn about the situation of Roma, not only in the EU but also in the south-eastern European region and elsewhere. I am delighted to work with the dedicated team of Romani and non-Romani staff members of the ERRC.

Despite its internal changes, the ERRC will continue to focus on the central challenges of Roma in the coming period. The ERRC will continue its role in documenting and analysing discrimination and violent forms of racism against Roma. The precarious housing situation of many Roma living in Eastern and Western Europe will continue to be a major focus of the ERRC's work in the coming period. Women's rights and children's rights will also increasingly dominate the ERRC's agenda. The ERRC will also persist in pressing for equal access to education as well as education de-segregation for Romani children across Europe; especially in light of the effects of such on employment opportunities later in life. The vicious circle of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion is difficult to break. However, I am convinced there is a way to do it.

While the Romani movement and organisations working on Romani issues see sheer failure on the part of some governments and decision-makers to acknowledge the extensive problems in the Romani community, other countries have announced plans and strategies indicating political will to tackle the extensive exclusion of Roma in society. Such political will might be driven by outside pressure to comply with EU standards or the interest of attracting international donors in this area. While the political will of governments to work on Romani issues is a necessary starting point for real change, this change has not yet happened and still seems to be far away. It appears that there is no shortage of initiatives undertaken. However, an analysis of, for example, the implementation of The Decade on Roma Inclusion does not indicate much room for optimism. The Decade has 8 years left, but if progress towards successfully achieving the Decade's goals is not stepped up significantly, I am afraid that the Decade and similar policies will remain a dead letter.

Fundamental measures such as Positive Action and Statutory Duties by and for public and private bodies, the strict implementation of equal treatment standards through anti-discrimination legislation and the immediate and clear prosecution of incitement to hatred of Roma in public discourse are required. Mechanisms to effectively monitor the will of governments, announced over the past years to comply with the EU acquis communautaire, for example, and actions towards defined goals – such as the reduction of unemployment of Romani people, integrated education for Romani children and acceptable housing standards, to mention just a few – must be created. Verifiable benchmarks and an evaluation system are urgently needed to measure progress, including (possible) lack of progress in meeting objectives. The ERRC will remain a watchdog in the field of Roma rights and will not hesitate to draw international attention to discrepancies between the words and deeds of governments.

I am well aware that change needs time but if Romani and non-Romani human rights activists and representatives of the Romani movement find constructive ways of joining forces, I see a good chance for achieving change. Both stakeholders have their respective role to play in voicing the concerns of Romani communities towards local or national decision makers or towards intergovernmental structures and their international human rights mechanisms. I have learnt over the past 15 years that there is sufficient work (and probably even more than that) to do for all of us. We can choose to approach this work in an isolated fashion. However, I prefer that Romani and non-Romani organisations working on Romani issues bring their outstanding expertise and strengths together to achieve real change in the lives of Roma across Europe. I am therefore proactively seeking dialogue and cooperation with Romani organisations.

The ERRC has, at times, been criticised for not having sufficient Romani staff members. This criticism is justified and requires a smoothly functioning recruitment policy at the ERRC. It is one of my objectives to increase the number of Romani staff members at the ERRC through positive measures. To achieve this, I need the support of the Romani community. Whenever the ERRC recruits for new positions, Romani individuals should apply; people should spread the word or advertise job announcements in magazines they publish to ensure Romani candidates are informed about vacancies in the organisation.

As an organisation, the ERRC will do its part to meet the goals outlined above. The ERRC has earned an excellent reputation for producing quality research and groundbreaking court cases in its first decade. I aim to build upon this and we will develop a strategic plan for the coming years that will allow the ERRC to continue shaping relevant policies in Europe for the benefit of Roma. This will lead to annual work programmes covering current hot spots such as discrimination against Roma in access to education, employment, health care and justice, women's rights and others. I aim to establish clear policy and performance objectives and to assess them at regular intervals. Only in doing so can the ERRC collect neutral evidence that the money and efforts we invested have fostered real improvement in the human rights situation of the Romani community in Europe.