The initiative "Local Action for Roma Safety" was presented to the Ukrainian Parliament on 9 April 2019 by Iryna SUSLOVA, MP and Chair of the Sub-Committee on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination - Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Inter-ethnic Relations. This event was organised in the context of the International Roma Day, which is celebrated annually on 8 April. The objective is to promote, through positive messages, the role of the Roma in Ukrainian political, social and cultural life.
The initiative "Local Action for Roma Safety" was launched at the meeting of the Ukrainian Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion in Lviv, Ukraine, in February 2019. On this occasion, several participants - members of the Ukrainian Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Integration of Roma, local and regional elected officials, parliamentarians and NGO representatives - took a stand against hate speech towards Roma.
These video messages call for the protection of Roma rights and reaffirm their place as full-fledged actors in society. This is the main objective of the Declaration against Anti-Gypsyism, launched by the Congress of the Council of Europe, to give local and regional elected representatives from the 47 member states the opportunity to take a stand against discrimination towards Roma.