Gorčević: Government is committed to improving the position of Roma and Egyptian population

Adviser to the Prime Minister Maida Gorčević participated today in a webinar on topic "Roma Poverty", organised by UNICEF. The webinar was also addressed by Regional Adviser on Social Policy and Economic Analysis of UNICEF Central and Eastern Europe Pamela Dale, Head of the UNICEF Office in Montenegro Juan Santander, as well as representatives of institutions, international organisations and the non-governmental sector.

The Government's plans are also reflected in the goals contained in the Declaration of Western Balkans Partners on Roma Integration within the EU Enlargement Process, which commits us to achieving full equality and integration of Roma in the areas of employment, housing, education, health, civil registration and non-discrimination.

"By adopting the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians 2021-2025, the Government of Montenegro will work hard to further improve the lives of members of this community, and together we will actively work to further improve its position. Also, the adoption of the Strategy by the Government is only the first step towards achieving that goal.

In order to improve the current situation and position of the Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro, as well as to exercise the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and other legal acts, and to combat all forms of discrimination and segregation, Montenegro has previously adopted and implemented a number of strategic documents in this area. The result is significant but insufficient changes, because these are extremely complex issues, which are a challenge for many EU countries and beyond," said Gorčević.

The Strategy will be aligned with the EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2020-2030. In this sense, the fight against discrimination, antigypsyism and some of their manifestations, such as the social and economic exclusion of Roma, will be key elements of this document. The strategic document will be harmonised with all national umbrella and sectoral strategies, as well as with the obligations from the process of negotiations between Montenegro and the European Union and the obligations that Montenegro has undertaken at the global level, primarily within the United Nations (UN) system.

Gorčević stated that the Government plans to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation, i.e. cooperation between the central and national levels. For a small economy like Montenegro, better coordination with donors and their support are needed to implement these policies. In this regard, we can consider options and agree on ways to hold periodic meetings with donors, in order to establish additional mechanisms for achieving the set goals.