We all have the responsibility and also the commitment to work on full and real inclusion of Roma national minority, which includes education and employment, and the best example should be given by state institutions, said Milan Nikolic from the expert service of Commissioner for the Protection of Equality at the session titled “Representation of Roma in the public sector – challenges and obstacles”, organized on the occasion of International Roma Day. He stressed that more than half of complaints on grounds of nationality and ethnic origin that were submitted to Commissioner for the Protection of Equality in 2017 was related to discrimination of Roma people, as well as 8 strategic litigations before courts across Serbia.

Main topics of discussion at this session were related to the activities for increasing of employment of Roma national minority members in public and private sector and future steps directed to the improvement of their position.

The session was opened by the Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-government Branko Ruzic, while among other speakers were also president of National Roma Minority Council in the Republic of Serbia Tefik Ramadanovic, president of the Council for the Improvement of Roma Position and Implementation of Roma Decade Nenad Ivanisevic and representative of EU Delegation in Serbia Nicolas Bizel. The event was organized by Coordination Body for Monitoring of Realization of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma in the Republic of Serbia and National Roma Minority Council.