News Archive
Roma Responsive Budgeting – Training for Local Representatives in North Macedonia
12 May 2022
After the Regional Cooperation Council’s Roma Integration Action Team provided the training on Roma Responsive Budgeting to the central authorities, and supported the Governments in the region to apply the principles of Roma Responsive Budgeting in their budgeting processes, similar training ...
National Platform and working meeting held in North Macedonia
24 Feb 2022
In close cooperation with the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Regional Cooperation Council’s Roma Integration action team organised а two day event in Skopje - National Platform and a technical meeting. During the first official day, responsible Ministries reported ...
Usein: "We all pay the price for Roma exclusion"
10 Feb 2022
"Antigypsyism and discrimination for Roma start from an early age, when Roma kids are enrolled in school and often put into special or segregated schools or classes. And it is happening in the entire region, and wider. In the 21 century, in the middle of democratic societies, in Europe, ...
Ending Statelessness of Roma in North Macedonia - Mapping of Legal and Policy Frameworks
22 Nov 2021
The RCC Roma Integration Action Team, lead by Mr Orhan Usein, Head of Office and Ms Shejla Fidani, Policy expert, and the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia organised a discussion on mapping of existing legal and policy frameworks towards ending statelessness of Roma.
20 Roma Entrepreneurs enhanced their digital skills
08 Nov 2021
Roma Digital Boost, a three-day workshop, was held last weekend in Veles, the Republic of North Macedonia. The workshop gathered 20 Roma entrepreneurs and aimed to equip attendees with the digital tools and skills to use social media and other digital platforms to enhance their businesses.
RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu met with Roma entrepreneurs
26 Oct 2021
Following the validation of the Brdo Declaration and the commitment of the Western Balkans partners to the primacy of democracy, fundamental rights and values, as well their commitment to fully implement Green Agenda; and the 4th Western Balkans Digital Summit that especially emphasized the ...
Two Workshops Held: Drafting the New Roma Strategic Frameworks
11 Oct 2021
In the previous period, Roma Integration Action Team facilitated two workshops, which were held with the aim to draft the new Roma Strategic Frameworks in accordance with the goals and objectives of the document presented by the European Commission in October 2020. The new document, EU Roma ...
Analyses of mainstream policies targeting Roma integration
03 Feb 2021
In order to provide input for constructive and evidence-based discussion on effective ways to incorporate Roma integration into the Mainstream Policies the documents provide information for: The key mainstream policies favourable for Roma integration in each economy; The opportunities ...
Fifth Task Force Meeting Held Online
15 Dec 2020
Fifth Task Force Meeting Held Online - Mapping of informal settlements, ending statelessness, data collection, and Roma responsive budgeting in focus In the course of COVID-19 pandemic, RCC’s Roma Integration held its fifth Task Force meeting on 15 December 2020 online, striving to ...
Policy Briefs on Roma Responsive Budgeting
14 Jan 2020
The Western Balkans’ six economies, participating in the Roma Responsive Budgeting Initiative led by the Roma Integration project, have been working progressively on piloting the Guidelines for Roma Responsive Budgeting developed in 2018 within the inter-governmental working group ...
Fourth Task Force Meeting: Housing is essential to one's sense of dignity, safety, and inclusion
13 Dec 2019
The RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 project held its fourth Task Force meeting in Belgrade on 12 and 13 December 2019. The key stakeholders of the project reviewed the status of activities in the seven participating economies, discussed the status of implementation of the Declaration of the ...
Regional Conference: Mapping of Roma Housing in the Region (Sarajevo, 2019)
05 Nov 2019
The RCC-s Roma Integration 2020 Action Team presented a Methodology for Mapping of Roma Housing in the WB. Regional Conference on Housing in Sarajevo brought together regional National Roma Contact Points, representatives from the relevant ministries, Roma civil society representatives and ...
Development of most effective policies for housing and employment of Roma in the Republic of North Macedonia is essential
11 Sep 2019
The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 and the National Roma Contact Point of the Republic of North Macedonia organized the third National Platform for Roma Integration in Skopje, an annual meeting to present the progress, identify achievements and challenges, ...
Roma Declaration – A new Energy for Regional Cooperation
03 Jul 2019
The Ministers of economy, interior and foreign affairs of the economies participating in the Berlin Process will meet in Poznan on 4 and 5 July 2019. The Summit will also be attended by representatives of the European Commission (EC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation ...
The path of young Roma from education to employment discussed at the Regional Seminar
19 Jun 2019
Western Balkans Regional Seminar “Roma youth: from Education to Employment” held in Skopje on 19 June was organized by the Roma Education Fund to discuss two key and inseparable elements for effective Roma integration: education and employment. The seminar gathered together ...
Second Steering Committee of ROMACTED Programme held in Skopje
18 Jun 2019
The second Steering Committee of the Joint European Union and Council of Europe ROMACTED Programme was held in Skopje on 18 June 2019. The representatives from the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), the Council of Europe, representatives ...
Funds should be invested where they are most needed
05 Jun 2019
Roma Integration Project works with the region on ensuring Roma responsive budgeting The way regional budget programs are designed in their current financial systems, seem to be rigid and lack flexibility of intervention either to introduce a new product related directly ...
Third meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting
08 Nov 2018
Rome – The Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting, comprising of the National Roma Contacts Points (NRCP) representatives of Ministries of Finances from the economies in the enlargement region, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Roma Integration ...
RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 at 2018 EU Platform on Roma Inclusion in Brussels
10 Oct 2018
Usein: Full social support package along with housing solution needed for sustainable integration of Roma in the region Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team, prepared a set of recommendations intended to resolve the ...
Second National Platform on Roma Integration in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Skopje, 2018)
03 Oct 2018
Skopje – The second national platform on Roma Integration, gathering representatives of the government, civil society organizations, the Delegation of the European Union and relevant international organisations, to assess the Roma integration policy achievements made in 2017 and agree ...
Progress Reports on the Integration of Roma for 2017 submitted by the RI2020 Participating Governments
10 Sep 2018
The Governments participating in the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)'s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) submitted annual reports on the implementation of their national strategies and action plans on Roma integration for 2017, according to the regionally adopted standards for monitoring ...
High level of discrimination in the labour market against Roma in the South East Europe region
06 Jul 2018
Brussels – Roma and other minorities in the South East Europe region continue to suffer from unacceptably high levels of discrimination in the labour market, revealed results of 2018 edition of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Balkan Barometer (BB), an annual survey of citizens ...
Second Meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting
03 Jul 2018
Bucharest – The second meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020), took place in Bucharest today.
Regional Conference: Holistic Approach to Housing of Roma in the Enlargement Region (Bar, 2018)
31 May 2018
Bar – A two day conference “Holistic Approach to Housing for Roma in the Enlargement Region”, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team, started in Bar today.
For improvement of socio-economic position of Roma fight against anti-Gypsyism and discrimination is a must
22 May 2018
Belgrade – RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Policy Expert Aleksandra Bojadjieva spoke today at the presentation of the report “Wall of Anti-Gypsism – Roma in Serbia”, one of five from the series “The Wall on Anti-Gypsyism – Reports on Roma Rights ...
First meeting of the Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting
26 Apr 2018
Vienna – The RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Working Group for Developing Regional Standards for Roma Responsible Budgeting, consisting of the RI2020 Action Team, independent budget experts, National Roma Contacts Points (NRCP) and representatives of Ministries of Finances ...
National Roma Contact Points join the EU Roma Week in Brussels
09 Apr 2018
Brussels - National Roma Contact Points from each of the economy participating at the Regional Cooperation Council’s Roma Integration 2020 project, joined the third EU Roma Week – a series of events providing recommendations on combating anti-Gypsyism and continued structural ...
Regional Conference: Filling in the Budget Gaps in Roma Integration Policies (Tirana, 2017)
10 Nov 2017
The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team organized a regional conference on 10 November in Tirana to address the needs and priorities in the Western Balkans and Turkey concerning filling in the budget gaps in Roma Integration Policies, with a ...
Second Task Force meeting: Budgeting in the region to be improved to reflect measures for integration of Roma
21 Sep 2017
Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 Action Team (RI2020) is given the mandate to work with the governments on developing regional standards for budgeting Roma Integration policies and mainstream budgeting responsible to Roma integration, at the RI2020 Task Force ...
RCC's Roma Integration 2020 Policy Expert participates at the OSCE HDIM 2017
18 Sep 2017
Ms Aleksandra Bojadjieva, Policy Expert at the Regional Cooperation Council’s Roma Integration 2020 Action Team, participated at Working session 10: Tolerance and Non-Discrimination I. The session focused on the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, particularly Roma and ...
Regional Workshop: Public Budgeting for Roma Integration Policies (Skopje, 2017)
20 Mar 2017
A two-day regional workshop on budgeting for Roma integration policies, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration 2020 project (RI2020), took place in Skopje on 20-21 March 2017. The Workshop participants discussed public financing and budgeting allocations ...
Regional Workshop: Monitoring and Reporting on Roma Integration (Vienna, 2016)
12 Dec 2016
The regional workshop on monitoring and reporting, organised by Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) Action Team of Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), started in Vienna today. It will provide the participants with the necessary skills for data collection, use of monitoring indicators and reporting ...
First National Platform on Roma Integration in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Skopje, 2016)
24 Nov 2016
Skopje - Public Dialogue Forum on Roma Integration titled “Rules of Procedure of The National Coordination Body, The Roma Information Centres, and The Roma Health Mediators” began in Skopje. The two-day event is organised by the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Roma Integration ...
First Task Force meeting: Regional standards for reporting on progress, outcomes and budget for Roma integration
09 Nov 2016
The Roma Integration 2020 Action Team organized the first Task Force meeting of the Roma Integration 2020 project. The Task Force, which is composed of the National Roma Contact Points from the participating economies, two civil society representatives, the European Commission DG NEAR, Open ...
High Level Launch Event: Before accession, countries will need to prove tangible progress on Roma inclusion
09 Jun 2016
Brussels - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and the European Commission (EC) jointly launched the “Roma Integration 2020” initiative today in Brussels. The event brought together Roma integration policy leaders from the Western Balkans and ...