Strasbourg, 01/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Council of Europe's ad hoc committee of experts on Roma issues (CAHROM) held its 9th plenary meeting in Strasbourg from 27 to 30 May. The 120 participants comprised national experts from 41 member states, and representatives of the European Commission and a number of NGOs specialising in this area. Ulrich Bunjes, Council of Europe special representative for Roma issues, takes stock and reflects on prospects. (interview by Véronique Leblanc, our translation throughout)
Agence Europe: How does CAHROM, which you head, work?
Ulrich Bunjes: CAHROM was set up in the wake of the Strasbourg Declaration on Roma published after the high-level Council of Europe (CoE) meeting on the Roma on 20 October 2010. It followed on from a sub-committee of the committee on migration. The 47 CoE member states (MS) all belong to it but, in fact, only the 41 countries affected by this issue take part in the debate. Also represented are a large number of international organisations working on Roma inclusion. These are directorates general or agencies set up within the European Union, the OSCE, the United Nations, etc. High commissions for migration and for human rights are also represented, as are the World Bank, UNESCO and some NGOs. Nor must we forget the various CoE institutions and services, including from within the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
CAHROM includes the Roma in its name but not the traveller community. Are travellers part of what you do?
Absolutely. One of the successes of our 9th meeting is the proposal that we are putting to the CoE Council of Ministers that the name be changed to include the traveller community. This will make things clearer and I have no doubt that our request will be met with a favourable response.
What were the other successes of the meeting?
As always happens at these biannual meetings, we approve a number of reports drafted during expert visits in the MS. This kind of report flags up the progress made and the shortcomings and this was certainly the case with the visit to the Czech Republic in November 2014. Along with the report we made recommendations highlighting the scale of the mismatch between the Roma children and the schools system and the importance of enhancing the role of the mediators in that country. This text will be published within the next two weeks.
We also discussed a recurring issue - that of legalising the occupation of land by the Roma, who have been living there sometimes for decades but without title deeds. This affects countries such as Albania, Serbia, the Czech Republic, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. We agreed on recommendations on the timescale for submission of requests.
The issue of early marriage was also discussed but we have yet to draw conclusions as we are still assessing the findings of an expert visit to Albania.
Are any initiatives planned within the relevant CoE departments?
We have agreed to step up the work of the CoE. An initial seminar, organised with the assistance of the Italian state, has allowed us to prepare teaching modules on Roma history for national education systems, along with a teacher's manual. A second seminar is planned for Serbia in the autumn to consider how our member states can be helped to implement our recommendations.
Was the rise in anti-gypsy feeling also discussed?
We are following this tendency with a great deal of concern. Hate speech against the Roma is on the increase, including in the media and in public debate in some countries. It's linked to the economic crisis which leads to people looking for scapegoats.
And do these meetings also permit the sharing of best practice?
Absolutely, but this is especially so in our thematic visits when experts from four to seven countries meet for detailed discussions on the ground. It's not so easy to examine all the details in plenary.
Five years after CAHROM was set up, what is your assessment?
Progress can be seen in the way the Roma issue is taken into account by the Committee of Ministers. CAHROM is a unique case of an ad hoc committee being set up on an issue that is, at one and the same time, so specific and so broad since it covers housing, health, education, employment, discrimination, hate speech and more. We act like a body which is constantly providing reminders that more has to be done and it has to be done better. The Committee of Ministers is responsive and continues to make recommendations on the situation of the Roma. Progress has been made, particularly in education as access to the system is easier. But it is much more difficult to counter hate speech.
The fact remains that there is still no international convention on the Roma. We have to make use of the European Convention of Human Rights, the European Social Charter and even the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities or the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages which protects the Romany language in half the member states, but not in Turkey, France or Belgium, for example, since these countries have not ratified it.
Putting in place a European Roma Institute, linked for example with the Soros Institute was one of the main points on the agenda for these three days. What was decided?
The name is still only a working title, it may change. That's only a detail but, in terms of the substance, we are at a crossroads. The debate has taken place but no joint conclusions reached. There is still work to be done but we're working on it.
Does it have the backing of CoE Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland?
He says that we need action, we have to give fresh impetus to Roma inclusion. Europe has for far too long dragged its heels on highlighting Roma culture to show that these communities can also serve as examples. The reticence comes from some member states. Some say that inclusion is more crucial than culture, others point out that cultural bodies and events already exist, giving Roma culture prominence nationally.
Where will this European Roma Institute be based?
No decision has yet been taken. We have several proposals on the table.