The conference "The right to adequate housing for Roma, and discrimination in the housing sector" successfully organized

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Thursday, 13 April 2017 09:27

The conference "The right to adequate housing for Roma, and discrimination in the housing sector", was held in Podgorica on 07.04.2017. in occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Roma, in cooperation of NGO Young Roma and the Institution of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms.

The Conference represents part of the project “Together for the Inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities through a transparent and sustainable public policy” that NGO Young Roma implements in cooperation with NGOs Center for Roma Initiatives, NF Citizens Alliance, NGO Romani youth organization ,,Phiren Amenca", NGO Center for Democratic Transition. The project is financially supported by the Open Society Foundation in Budapest.

The conference brought together representatives of ministries, international organizations, municipalities, utility companies, local governments, NGOs, the media and individuals whose work and efforts contribute to improving the situation of the Roma community in Montenegro.

The aim of the conference was to look at the current effects of the integration of Roma and to open important questions for further successful and sustainable integration of Roma into Montenegrin society in the occasion of the International Day of Roma. Quality introductory presentations of the panelists on the current situation of Roma in Montenegro and the discussion that followed, as well as suggested future activities in the field of improving living conditions and reducing discrimination in this area were the key goal of the conference.

At the very beginning , on behalf of the hosts of the conference, Executive Director of the NGO "Young Roma" Samir Jaha and deputy's protector Siniša Bjeković addressed attendees. Also, appreciating the importance of this area, on this subject have spoken, Aivo Orav - Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, Klaus Mock - Regional Coordinator for Montenegro and Serbia HELP and Orhan Usein – Coordinator of the Roma Integration 2020 Action team. In the second part of the conference panelists were Marko Čanović - Director General for housing development the Ministry of sustainable development and tourism, Milan Radović -NF Civic Alliance, Leon Gjokaj - Director General for advancing and protecting the rights of minorities Ministry for Human and minority rights, and Dina Knežević - Advisor of the Protector.

All panelists agreed that the ongoing inter-sector cooperation is one of the key conditions for the effectiveness of the protection of human rights and freedoms in Montenegro, as well as the Roma and Egyptian population which belongs to a group which is characterized by intense social exclusion, social segregation and poverty. It is therefore important to put, on this issue, special attention, both in the spirit of the need for solidarity and respect for EU standards, and because of reason that effective social inclusion of Roma and Egyptians strengthens the whole society as a political community.

On this occasion, attendees at the conference had the opportunity to see an exhibition of photography, by photographer Una Jovović, which are showing the reality of the housing conditions in which Roma live in the municipalities of Budva, Tivat, Kotor and Herceg Novi. Also, the documentary film, created by the NGO Đakomo Adriatic, which shows the living conditions in Roma settlements in the municipality of Bijelo Polje, was showed at the end of the conference.