The Committee of Ministers has issued a new Recommendation to the governments of 46 Council of Europe member states to ensure substantive participation, representation and inclusion of Roma youth in all spheres of society and decision-making processes, as well as to combat structural racism.  

The Committee of Ministers recommends including systematically and explicitly the needs and priorities voiced by young Roma people in all policies, standards and programmes that impact them; assessing policies and democratic structures with the aim of redesigning them to ensure Roma youth’s effective participation, representation and inclusion. Combatting all forms and manifestations of structural anti-Roma racism and antigypsyism and their impact on Roma youth participation are necessary conditions to ensure young Roma people’s full and effective access to and fulfilment of all fundamental human rights and freedoms; including free and non-discriminatory access to quality education, training and employment opportunities for all young Roma people. 

The Committee of Ministers also recommends supporting and strengthening the capacity of Roma youth-led organisations, groups and initiatives and Roma youth-focused organisations and youth centres as spaces for exercising citizenship, promoting youth work and non-formal education/learning and for expressing and fostering their cultural identity, language, and history.  

All policies, measures and programmes related to this recommendation should respect the diversity of Roma communities addressing, in particular, the intersectional discrimination faced by Roma girls, Roma women, LGBTI+ Roma, Muslim Roma and young Roma people living in isolated and rural communities.  

Civil society, including mainstream youth councils and organisations, should be invited to contribute to the implementation and evaluation of this recommendation. The implementation of the recommendation will be examined every five years after its adoption.