High level meeting on the integration of Roma people in Europe

Mr Chairman,

The Norwegian Government warmly welcomes the initiative to convene this Conference on Roma and would like to congratulate the Secretary General for having responded so quickly to a situation which is a concern to all of us. 

By convening this Conference on such a short notice, the Council of Europe has showed that the organisation is able to  react rapidly and with great flexibility in responding  to  complex challenges that are of crucial importance to European democratic societies.

We expect the  Council of Europe to have  a leading role in protecting and promoting  human rights for all. Raising the issue of the Roma is challenging but at the same time a laudable initiative. It is obvious that this is an issue that will require joint efforts and the active participation of the Roma themselves.  This Conference gives us a possibility  to reaffirm our unequivocal commitment to the fundamental principles of non-discrimination, respect for human rights, social inclusion, democratic participation and the rule of law which should  inspire and guide our policies at all levels and for all peoples.

Mr Chairman, we welcome the draft Declaration prepared for the Conference. The document has a balanced language in addressing human rights and the necessity of social inclusion of Roma . 

The Roma group in Norway is very small, but is still facing many of the same challenges as Roma elsewhere in Europe. A  special Action Plan was launched in 2009 by the Government, its main focus being to secure social inclusion of Roma and facilitate their participation and use of relevant measures in important fields as housing, employment and education. 

Norway agrees with the priorities set out in the Draft Declaration. We support the action oriented approach and the emphasis on assistance in the implementation of good practices.  

 As the Secretary-General has stated, this is a process and not an event, indeed a  very important reminder  and we should not forget that the Member States have the main responsibility for following up the commitments aiming at bringing justice and improved conditions to Roma.

Thank you Mr. Chairman