Regional Conference "Innovative Approaches to Employment of Roma", organized jointly by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)'s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020), Regional Cooperation Council’s Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) and Roma Education Fund (REF) with the goal of tackling the challenges in employment of Roma across the enlargement region, is taking place on 10 and 11 December 2018 in Budapest, Hungary.

Overall goal of the Conference is to examine and propose employment measures for Roma that may contribute to the reduction of the gap between the employment rate of Roma and the general employment rate in the enlargement region, with several specific objectives: 

• Examining the current practices of the governments in the enlargement region in the area of employment of Roma and identifying the need for modified or new measures;
• Examining the mainstream policies on employment implemented by the governments in the enlargement region covered with the RCC's ESAP project and identifying possible measures that have the potential to yield results for the employment of Roma; 
• Examining other proposals for employment measures that may be effective for Roma by relevant regional and international organizations;
• Drafting regional recommendations on potentially effective measures for the employment of Roma.

The regional conference will be attended by delegations from each of the enlargement region governments led by the National Roma Contact Points and including representatives from the public employment agencies and the ministries dealing with the areas of employment/social welfare, education and local self-government, together with civil society representatives.