Recommendation on Roma Youth Participation
The Youth Sector Strategy 2030 of the Council of Europe aims to create spaces for young people to live together in peaceful and inclusive societies, with special emphasis on allowing young people, including those experiencing any form of discrimination and exclusion, to benefit from opportunities that develop their commitment to and exercise of democratic citizenship. It also emphasises the interest of the Council of Europe youth sector to develop a stronger profile regarding the inclusion of inter alia minorities and vulnerable groups, intersectionality, and inclusiveness across its programming.
The Council of Europe youth sector has been consistently supporting for several decades the participation of Roma young people and combating antigypsyism. This was particularly enhanced with the implementation of the Roma Youth Action Plan (2011-2019), the Strategic Action Plan for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2020-2025) and the new Strategy for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2026-2030), which, among others, aim to develop awareness and resources on Roma youth identities and remembrance, multiple discrimination and in involving young Roma as agents of change and human rights defenders.
The preparation of a draft recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member states on promoting Roma youth participation was initiated by the decision of the Joint Council on Youth at its 44th meeting in March 2021.
Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)4 on Roma youth participation was adopted because young Roma people face systematic discrimination in their access to social, economic, cultural, political and civil rights, and that structural racism negatively impacts Roma youth’s participation in civic and political processes and structures, self-esteem, pride and well-being, their transition to adulthood, their trust in the fairness of institutions, and their readiness to embrace their roots and cultures.
The Recommendation reflects the priorities, demands and aspirations established and expressed by young Roma people and Roma youth organisations during consultation processes. It acknowledges the importance and urgency of using a double-mainstreaming approach in youth and Roma policies, as well as mainstream legislation, policies, measures and programmes.
The Recommendation calls on Governments of the member states to:
- ensure substantive, fair and systematic participation, representation and inclusion of young Roma people in all spheres of society and decision-making processes and structures;
- mainstream and include systematically and explicitly the needs and priorities voiced by young Roma people in all policies, standards and programmes that impact them;
- assess relevant mainstream and targeted policies, as well as democratic structures, in view of mapping and redesigning them to ensure Roma youth’s effective participation, representation and inclusion;
- combat all forms and manifestations of structural anti-Roma racism and antigypsyism and their impact on Roma youth participation;
- ensure young Roma people’s full and effective access to and fulfilment of all fundamental human rights and freedoms;
- ensure free and non-discriminatory access to quality education, training and employment opportunities for all young Roma people;
- support and strengthen the capacity of Roma youth-led organisations, groups and initiatives and Roma youth-focused organisations and youth centres;
- adopt policies, measures and programmes and allocate adequate funding to implement the guidelines set out as an appendix to the recommendation.
Governments are also asked to invite civil society, including mainstream youth councils and organisations, and other relevant stakeholders, to contribute to the implementation and evaluation of the recommendation.