On 8 April the participants of the “Roma Youth Together 2025” seminar, along with Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights, Deputy mayor of Strasbourg, Véronique BERTHOLLE, Francesco VERDUCCI, General Rapporteur on combating racism and intolerance: Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, Parliamentary Assembly, and Almedina SKENDERI, a participant from the seminar, gathered together with Permanent Representations and Council of Europe staff members at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg to celebrate International Roma Day 2025.

The speakers stressed the rich contribution of Roma and Travellers to the cultural life of Europe, while acknowledging the work still to be done to fight intersectional discrimination. The ceremony was organised to celebrate the identity, resilience, and cultural heritage of Roma, while advocating for their recognition, equality, and human rights. After a musical interlude and the Romani anthem Djelem Djelem, the celebration ended with a casting of flowers and a musical interlude from Marcel LOEFFLER and his musicians.

Prior to the flower-casting ceremony, the Commissioner for Human Rights exchanged with the participants from the Roma Youth Together seminar on the needs of Roma youth and the priorities of the Commissioner’s mandate at the Council of Europe.

The ceremony was organised in the framework of ‘Opre Roma! Month’: Celebrating Roma history, language and culture, organised by the Roma and Travellers Division.