  Contacts:
In Washington: Merrell Tuck-Primdahl
(+1 202) 473-9516
mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org
In Sofia: Mr. Georgi Kourtev
(359-2) 96 97 239
Email:gkourtev@worldbank.org Sofia, Bulgaria, January 31, 2005 ― Leaders from Central Europe are gathering in Sofia on February 2, 2005 to launch the Decade of Roma Inclusion—the most sweeping effort to improve the status of Roma, Europe's most vulnerable minority. Participants include Prime Ministers from eight Central and Southeast European countries, as well as World Bank President James Wolfensohn and Open Society Institute (OSI) Chairman George Soros. OSI and the World Bank are the two principal sponsoring organizations of the initiative. The Decade of Roma Inclusion represents the first cooperative international effort to change the lives of Roma, many of whom live in devastating poverty in the heart of Europe. Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, FYR Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovakia are the founding countries of the Decade, which will span 2005-2015. “It is one of the great moral issues facing Europe today. If we do nothing, we will see continued disaffection and suffering. If we succeed, the Decade offers an opportunity to turn the tide of history and harness the political will to include the Roma as full citizens in European societies,” said World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn.
To accelerate social inclusion and improve the economic status of Roma, each country will set goals for improvements in four identified priority areas—education, employment, health, and housing. The Decade will also provide a follow-up framework to monitor progress in ending the severe discrimination and poverty faced by Roma communities in the region.
“The Decade signals a sea change in Roma policy. But it is just the beginning. Problems will not be solved overnight and we must be prepared to fight social exclusion and discrimination over the course of the Decade. The Decade itself is an inclusive exercise and we welcome other countries, including EU member states, to join,” said George Soros, Chairman of the Open Society Institute.
The Decade planning is guided by an International Steering Committee, made up of representatives of governments, Roma from each country, and international organizations. It is owned by the governments that signed on to it. Funding of the Decade action plans involves the reallocation of existing resources in national budgets and aligning these plans with funding instruments of multinational, international, and bilateral donors.
In addition to the governments of the participating countries, the World Bank, and the Open Society Institute, the Decade of Roma Inclusion is supported by the European Commission, the United Nations Development Program, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Development Bank, and most importantly, Romani leadership. | Roma Facts in Brief Roma are now one of the largest, poorest, and fastest growing minorities in Europe. The total Roma population in all of Europe is estimated at between 7 to 9 million. They represent roughly 2 percent of the 450 million people who live in the enlarged European Union. Roma populations are significantly younger than majority populations – between 40-50 percent of Roma in the Decade countries are under 20 years of age. Approximately 6 million Roma live in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with nearly 5 million in the new member states of the European Union. Poverty rates for Roma range between four and ten times that of non-Roma in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro—nearly 40 percent of Roma in Romania and Bulgaria live on less than $2.15 per day. Roma are often deprived of the resources necessary for adequate living conditions, but they also lack access to education, labor markets, social and health services, and channels for participation in society. Gaps in education between Roma and majority populations are stark. Across countries, some 70-80 percent of Roma have less than a primary school education. Fewer than 1 percent of Roma continue on to higher education. Between 50-80 percent of Roma study in “special schools” intended for the mentally and physically disabled, which limit their future opportunities in education and on the labor market. |
For more information on the World Bank’s program on Roma, visit: http://www.worldbank.org/roma For details on OSI’s work on Roma, visit: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/roma/ For Multimedia components (video and still photos), please visit: |
RSS