The Launching Conference of the Second Phase of the Joint CoE/EU ROMACTED Programme on “Promoting Good Governance and Roma Empowerment at Local Level” will be held in Podgorica tomorrow, 18 November 2021.
Introductory speeches at the Conference will be given by: Mr Sergej Sekulović, Minister - Head of the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights; H.E. Ms Oana Cristina Popa, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro and Ms Marina Vasić, ROMACTED Programme Manager (Council of Europe).
The official opening of the Conference will be followed by a signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights and the Capital Podgorica / municipalities involved in the second phase of programme implementation, namely: Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Herceg Novi, Nikšić, Tivat and Ulcinj.
The Conference will start on 18 November at 10:00 in the Hilton Hotel (Crystal Ballroom A) in Podgorica. The working languages of the conference are Montenegrin and English, with simultaneous translation provided.
The media are invited to cover the event. Members of the ROMACTED team for Montenegro (Project Officer, Focal Point, and Facilitators) will be available for interviews during the coffee break, between 11:00 and 11:30.
For more information, you can contact the ROMACTED Project Officer for Montenegro Milica Kovačević via e-mail address: [email protected] or phone: 069 565 675.
The second phase of the ROMACTED programme officially started on 1 January this year and will be implemented by 31 December 2024 (48 months). The Programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe ROMACTED II is a natural follow-up of the of the ROMACTED first phase in the Western Balkans and Turkey (2017-2020), which serves to consolidate and expand efforts to improve the integration of Roma in local communities, through increased participation in local policy making and conducting local actions. ROMACTED II will continue to help local authorities integrate specific dimensions / measures for Roma into regular local policies, action plans related to these policies, budgets, and public services, thus improving the democratic participation and empowerment of local Roma communities.
The Programme has the following goals: improving local democracy, accountability, inclusiveness, and response to Roma citizens, and thus improving service delivery.
In Montenegro, it is implemented in the Capital Podgorica and the following municipalities: Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Herceg Novi, Nikšić, Tivat and Ulcinj.
More information is available on the ROMACTED program website: https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/roma-local-governance
