European Parliament Resolution on Roma Holocaust Remembrance

On 2 August 2015, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on antigypsyism in Europe and the recognition of the Memorial Day of the Roma genocide during World War II. The European Commission expressed its full support for this resolution, emphasizing the importance of remembrance, recognition, and the fight against antigypsyism. The EU continues to issue statements commemorating the Roma Holocaust, underlining the commitment to keeping its history and lessons alive in public memory and education.

EU Funding for Roma Holocaust Remembrance

The EU supports projects that preserve the memory of the Roma genocide, promote education and research, and foster commemorative activities across Europe. Funding is provided through the Remembrance strand of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, helping initiatives that raise awareness about the Roma Holocaust and ensure that its lessons remain part of civic education and public discourse.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is the only intergovernmental organization with a mandate focused on addressing contemporary challenges related to the Holocaust and genocide of the Roma. We foster education, remembrance, and research about what happened in the past, to build a world without genocide in the future.

The IHRA was founded to deliver on the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration and the 2020 Ministerial Declaration. Delegates from all our Member Countries work closely together, sharing their expertise and experiences in the field. Our Member Countries are united in their determination to combat growing Holocaust distortion and antisemitism, and protect the memory of the Holocaust and genocide of the Roma.

The IHRA’s interdisciplinary Committee on the Genocide of the Roma highlights the prejudice towards Roma before, during, and after the Second World War, and demonstrates the link between this history and the situation of many Roma communities today. Its experts develop resources that strengthen education, remembrance, and research on the genocide of the Roma.

Key IHRA achievements in the field of the genocide of the Roma include the adoption of the working definition of antigypsyism and IHRA’s Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Persecution and Genocide of the Roma during the Nazi era.

In addition, the IHRA Grant Program gives funding to impactful external projects which counter distortion or safeguard the record of the Holocaust and genocide of the Roma. This program helps strengthen the connections between institutions and gives organizations access to the IHRA network.

In 1990, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) recognized the vulnerable position of Roma and Sinti with regard to racial and ethnic hatred, xenophobia and discrimination. Since then the OSCE has committed to promote the human rights of Roma and Sinti and their integration into society. These commitments were acknowledged in 2003 by participating States through the adoption of the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area. Particular consideration was given to education about the experience of Roma and Sinti people during the Holocaust.

The OSCE participating States have pledged to promote the remembrance of and education about this and other genocides. They have also pledged to undertake effective measures to eradicate discrimination against Roma and Sinti and enhance their equality of opportunity. Teaching about and remembering the Roma and Sinti genocide remains a crucial priority. There is still a lack of knowledge about this tragedy. Education lays the basis for promoting tolerance and non-discrimination, thus countering persistent prejudice, hate speech and hate crimes against Roma and Sinti. At the same time, remembrance activities pay respect to the victims and ensure that the genocide of the Roma and Sinti becomes part of the public consciousness. We must ensure that the many sites of persecution and extermination are recognized and remembered.

Several OSCE participating States have started to engage in developing educational materials and commemorating the persecution, including with official recognition. In order to establish these practices, ODIHR publishes bi-annual reports on Holocaust Remembrance Days in the OSCE Region.  The reports outline how OSCE participating States promote the commemoration and study of the Holocaust, including the genocide of Roma and Sinti, in line with the OSCE commitments. The information is collected through an online questionnaire that ODIHR sent to all participating States. Sharing regular data will hopefully encourage governments to draw on each other’s good practices and enhance their own activities in this sphere.

Read more about the activities of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Roma and Sinti | OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

PRESS RELEASE

• Remembering past atrocities is vital to combat current racism and discrimination perpetrated against Roma and Sinti, OSCE human rights office says
• Knowledge of the Roma genocide is vital to overcome prejudice and strengthen our democracies, OSCE human rights office says | OSCE
• By honouring the memory of Roma genocide victims we help fight discrimination today, OSCE human rights head says | OSCE
• Remembering the Roma genocide goes beyond commemoration to fight today’s intolerance, OSCE human rights head says | OSCE
• OSCE/ODIHR calls for remembrance of and education about Roma genocide as key to avoiding recurrence of past atrocities | OSCE
• Education is key to avoiding the mistakes of the past, say OSCE and UN human rights representatives on Roma Genocide Remembrance Day | OSCE

The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) is a joint initiative of the Council of Europe, the Open Society Foundations, and the Alliance for the European Roma Institute. Since its establishment in 2017, ERIAC has developed into a leading Roma led cultural institution working at the intersection of contemporary art, historical research, cultural policy and public engagement across Europe.

ERIAC exists to strengthen the self-esteem of Roma communities while actively challenging antigypsyism and structural exclusion within European societies. Through arts, culture, history, education and media, the institute promotes Roma self-representation and supports Roma artists, researchers and cultural workers as central contributors to Europe’s cultural life.

Remembrance and historical justice form a core pillar of ERIAC’s work. The institute has played a key role in advancing public recognition of the Roma Holocaust and in reshaping how Roma histories of persecution, resistance and survival are represented. ERIAC develops exhibitions, performances, commemorative events, educational programmes and policy frameworks that connect historical remembrance with contemporary artistic expression and civic responsibility. Its work emphasizes Roma agency, knowledge and intergenerational memory, while resisting narratives that reduce Roma history to victimhood alone.

Beyond documentation, ERIAC actively creates platforms for remembrance as a living, participatory practice. By linking memory to contemporary art, music, literature and critical scholarship, the institute situates Roma historical experiences within broader European histories and democratic values. In doing so, ERIAC contributes to a more inclusive understanding of Europe’s past and supports the development of ethical, sustainable approaches to remembrance that honour Roma perspectives and lived experiences.

Within the framework of the Joint Programme Roma Memory, ERIAC implemented a series of cultural and educational activities addressing Roma resistance, remembrance, and institutional antigypsyism. These activities were developed and delivered in close cooperation with key European and international stakeholders, including the Council of Europe, IHRA, ODIHR, and the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma.

Together, the programme elements combined artistic expression, scholarly reflection, and capacity building, reinforcing Roma agency in memory work and contributing to sustainable European remembrance practices.

ternYpe-International Roma Youth Network is a European network of Roma youth organisations and activists working to strengthen Roma youth participation, representation and leadership across Europe. Founded in 2010, ternYpe connects member organisations and individual Roma youth from various European countries and the Western Balkans, promoting active citizenship, democratic engagement and social justice.

The network works to ensure that Roma young people are meaningfully involved in decision-making processes at local, national and European levels. Through advocacy, capacity building, non-formal education and policy engagement, ternYpe contributes to advancing human rights, combating antigypsyism and promoting inclusive youth policies.'