The 22nd meeting of the Council of Europe Dialogue with Roma and Traveller civil society is scheduled to take place on 6-7 October 2026 in hybrid format, in Strasbourg and online, and it will focus on the effects of security-oriented policies on Roma and Traveller communities, exploring pathways toward social inclusion, trust-building, and human rights compliance.
The meeting will:
- Examine and discuss the effects of recently adopted security-oriented policies (including legislation, policing strategies, and administrative measures) on Roma and Traveller communities and their intersection with human rights, social inclusion, and democratic resilience;
- Identify challenges and risks, such as collective punishment, profiling, disproportionate restrictions, indirect discrimination, and exclusion, as well as positive practices that promote security while safeguarding rights, dignity, equality and the rule of law;
- Explore opportunities for dialogue and cooperation between Roma and Traveller civil society, member states, and Council of Europe entities to promote more inclusive, participatory, and rights-based approaches in policy and practice, including mechanisms for consultation, trust-building, and accountability ;
- Collect input from Roma and Traveller civil society organisations on strategies for engaging with authorities, building alliances, and supporting effective remedies against discriminatory policies, as well as strengthening community participation in policy design, implementation, and monitoring;
- Facilitate exchanges with the Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (ADI-ROM), Ombudspersons, and relevant actors involved in security policy and minority protection;
- Shape actionable proposals for Council of Europe follow-up, monitoring, and capacity-building initiatives related to human rights-respecting security policies
Selection criteria for Dialogue participants:
- Geographical representation at national and regional levels and across Council of Europe member states; representatives of civil society organisations from Belgium, Greece, France, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Slovenia and United Kingdom and particularly encouraged to apply;
- Gender balance;
- Experience and expertise in security policy, human rights advocacy, and community strategies, with priority given to applicants engaged directly with affected communities and policy dialogue;
- Current or recent involvement in initiatives, advocacy efforts, or projects i related to security, anti-discrimination, inclusion, or rights advocacy;
- Ability to work orally and in writing in at least one of the official languages of the Council of Europe (English or French) or in Romani;
- Personal motivation and demonstrated commitment to advancing the rights and inclusion of Roma and Traveller communities.
The call is open to representatives of Roma and Traveller civil society organisations.
Interested candidates must complete an online Application Form by 31 July 2026, midnight, Central European Time (CET). Incomplete applications or applications received after that deadline will not be considered.
Only successful applicants will be informed.
Notifications will be sent out by 10 August 2026.
Concept note English
