Adopted 15 November 2024 · Budapest
Declaration on Strengthening Civic Participation in Policies for Roma Inclusion
We, the undersigned representatives of civil society organisations from various European Union countries, reaffirm our commitment to Roma inclusion as a fundamental and shared priority for all European societies.
Effective and sustainable inclusion can only be achieved through active cooperation between national governments and civil society organisations with relevant expertise. Strategies must be co-designed, implemented and monitored with the active participation of all stakeholders, particularly Roma communities and their representative organisations.
In line with the Council Recommendation on Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation, we call on European countries to prioritise the following values.
- Transparency. All stages of planning, implementation and monitoring must be open to scrutiny, enabling accountability and trust.
- Accessibility. Diverse Roma and pro-Roma organisations must be able to participate effectively through open calls and formats, times and locations that support meaningful involvement.
- Genuine participation. Specialised Roma NGOs must have a real and influential role—not merely symbolic participation—through information, consultation and decision-making.
- Accountability. Decision-makers and implementers must answer for their actions and results against clear standards for progress, impact and failure.
- Inclusiveness. Roma communities and other marginalised groups must be represented and empowered in decision-making.
- Intersectionality. Policies must address overlapping barriers, particularly those faced by Roma women, young people and other marginalised subgroups.
- Valuing Roma expertise. The knowledge, skills and lived experience of Roma communities and their organisations must inform decisions.
- Sustainability. Civic dialogue and participation must be institutionalised beyond political cycles.
- Ownership. Stakeholders need genuine opportunities to contribute, be heard and share responsibility for the process.
Good practices for national governments
- Romanian Roma Forum: convened twice a year with logistical support from the National Roma Agency, providing a model for civil society–government dialogue.
- Slovak core funding: government core funding helps Roma NGOs build capacity and participate effectively in policy development.
- Slovak evaluation practices: external experts regularly assess and score actions and policies.
- Czech EU-level involvement: Roma and pro-Roma coalitions involve EU-level organisations throughout policy development, increasing transparency and visibility.
- European Commission Platform for Roma Dialogue: national governments should promote the underused platform as a tool for constructive engagement.