https://twitter.com/simonhayler1965

VirtualBox for Dummies
https://blogs.oracle.com/scoter/post/ebook-virtualbox-for-dummies

Oracle Virtual Box
https://www.virtualbox.org/

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
https://www.oracle.com/cloud/

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure with Oracle VM VirtualBox
https://blogs.oracle.com/virtualization/post/journey-to-oracle-cloud-infrastructure-with-oracle-vm-virtualbox
https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/oracle-vm-vb-oci-export-20190502-5480003.pdf

Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/jimgris
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/
https://developer.oracle.com/team/
https://oraclegroundbreakers.libsyn.com/

Jim Grisanzio from Oracle Developer Relations talks with Chip Baber from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) about the Oracle Code Innovate Program. The conversation centers around building the cloud community by working directly with developers — that's side by side, hands on coding collaboration — on real cloud projects for active customers.

The program, which started in 2018 with in-person sprints and moved virtual in 2020, uses a flexible Agile framework that spans a week of interactions, such as planning, training, ideation, coding, standups, demos, etc. What’s great about the program is that all sides learn — the customer’s developers get more direct experience coding in OCI, the customer’s executive management gets needed projects initiated that can be evolved to eventual deployment, and Oracle gets valuable engineering feedback that can help improve OCI. Plus, it’s fun. People at all levels who contribute to the project are really passionate about it. Listen in to hear why.  

Video Interview on YouTube
https://youtu.be/_qTnhoZ1vKI 

Article on Oracle News Connect
https://www.oracle.com/news/connect/groundbreakers-podcast-oracle-virtual-code-innovate.html 

Chip Baber, Senior Manager, Code Innovate, Emerging Technology Oracle Cloud
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipbaber/ 

Contact the Code Innovate Team
codeinnovate_us_grp@oracle.com 

Latest Video Review of the Virtual Code Innovate Program
https://youtu.be/BcNuD8fm62k 

Dozens of Videos on Oracle Code Innovate
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPIzp-E1msrZMCfSHbKgLK3KWsNM9JB9a 

Chip Baber's YouTube Tech & Code Channel
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsnBif_-5JnA8Hzvp8e1bQ3fo6VEvYEB0 

Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/jimgris 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/ 
https://developer.oracle.com/team/ 
https://oraclegroundbreakers.libsyn.com/ 

Photos from Live Code Innovate Events: 2018-2019
Oracle and GE Digital Bangalore https://flic.kr/s/aHsmtEb4XB 
Oracle and McAfee Bangalore https://flic.kr/s/aHsmsufTbW 
Oracle and Cisco San Jose https://flic.kr/s/aHsmBpBhVk 
Oracle and Cisco Bangalore https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDKBpPY 

JavaOne 2022 Speaker Preview

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with Java developer and JavaOne 2022 speaker Mark Heckler from St. Louis. Missouri in the United States.

Mark is a software developer and developer advocate at Microsoft, a Java Champion, a conference speaker, and an author. Check out his book Spring Boot: Up and Running. In this conversation Mark previews his session at JavaOne — Das Boot: Diving into Debugging Spring Boot Applications. Mark also talks about the value of technical conferences and the community. 

JavaOne 2022 from October 17-20 in Las Vegas

• JavaOne 2022: Registration and Sessions
• JavaOne Update 1
• JavaOne Update 2

Mark Heckler, Principal Cloud Developer Advocate for Java/JVM Languages at Microsoft

• @mkheck

Java Development and Community

• OpenJDK
• Inside Java
• Dev.Java
• @java on Twitter
• Java on YouTube

Duke's Corner Podcast Host

• Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Java Developer Relations, @jimgris

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Bert Jan Schrijver from The Netherlands. Bert is a Java Champion, a leader of the Dutch Java User Group, and the CTO and co-founder of OpenValue that he started in 2017.

The conversation spans all of Bert's experiences as a software developer, including hacking and gaming as a six-year old, contributing to the computer lab fire in school, blowing out the family's phone bill with his first modem, getting an advanced CS education at university, engaging the Java community globally, and building his own software company. Bert also offers some interesting advice for how people can continue learning and growing and contributing to the community at Java events. He also details why Java is special and why developers embrace the technology: "Java is one of the only languages I know of that has been active and current for so long. And one of the keys is the marvel of engineering in the Java Virtual Machine." 

Bert: https://twitter.com/bjschrijver

Jim: https://twitter.com/jimgris 

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Simon Martinelli, a Java Champion and an Oracle ACE Pro from Switzerland who loves contributing to FOSS projects and teaching students all about Java. The conversation ranges from Simon’s early experience learning Java, working for the Swiss Railway, engaging multiple Java User Groups, and teaching students. Simon also gets into the benefits of modern Java and some of the best features the technology offers for developers.

Simon: https://x.com/simas_ch

Jim: https://x.com/jimgris

WARSAW / BUCHAREST, 2 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), called today for greater efforts to protect endangered memorial sites related to the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II.

Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of the liquidation of the “Gypsy family camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, when the close to 3,000 remaining Roma and Sinti in the camp were murdered, they stressed that states have to do more to demonstrate their sincere and strong commitment to education about and remembrance of the genocide.

“Positively, we have seen increasing attention in recent years on the part of OSCE participating States to commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide, and to educate people about this horrible event. This practice and these experiences should be widely shared and replicated,” Director Link said. “Promoting understanding of the Holocaust and its effect on different communities can help to create empathy and promote equality and non-discrimination for all.”

“Accurate and ethical education about the Holocaust includes the respectful and dignified preservation of memorial sites,” said Ambassador Constantinescu. “States have to take resolute action to protect endangered memorial sites and continue to do more to commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims. The history of these endangered sites should be included as part of broader efforts to educate about the consequences of indifference to racism.”

They called on governments to ensure that endangered memorial sites for Roma and Sinti victims are preserved and protected, to include this history as an integral part of civic and human rights education in their countries. They stressed that current developments, including a disturbing rise in xenophobic public rhetoric and racism, mean it is even more essential to build strong alliances among different communities.

In 2003, with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, the OSCE participating States committed themselves to strengthen education about the Roma and Sinti genocide. Through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, ODIHR promotes knowledge about and recognition of the plight of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust to counter present-day discrimination and racism, and to promote tolerance. According to ODIHR’s recent publication Teaching about and Commemorating the Roma and Sinti Genocide: Practices within the OSCE Area, seven OSCE participating States officially commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide on 2 August, while a larger number of states commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims on the International Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an inter-governmental organization and the foremost international network of political leaders and professionals advancing and shaping Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Its 31 member countries are committed to the tenets of the Stockholm Declaration. The IHRA Committee on the Genocide of the Roma aims to increase the commitment of IHRA Member Countries to educate, research and commemorate the genocide of the Roma.

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The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the International Renaissance Foundation supported a training session for eight board members of the Association of Legal Clinics in Ukraine on strategic planning, which was held in Bucha, Ukraine, on 30-31 May 2016.

The participants conducted brainstorming sessions on formulating the mission statement, main areas of practice, institutional development of the organization as well as an strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of organizational capacity, and prepared a strategic plan for 2016-2018. They also learned about the best practices of organizational and institutional development from national and international experts.

Katarzyna Furman, board member of the European Network for Clinical Legal Education, and Filip Czernicki, board member of the Polish Legal Clinics Foundation, shared their experience of management standards and methods of improving efficiency.

The event was organized as part of the OSCE project aimed at supporting reform and development of legal education in Ukraine. The Project Co-ordinator also developed the first manual clinical legal education in Ukraine, which was an important component of quality and practice-oriented legal education.

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NEUM, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a two-day alumni meeting for over 20 students who attended the OSCE-organized Youth and Security Summer School when it was held for the first time last year. The peace and security studies students of the Universities of Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka discussed current security challenges and ways to promote youth participation in the development of a comprehensive security policy for BiH.

“The meeting is an excellent opportunity for enhancing the knowledge and capacity of future security professionals. It provides a platform for them to actively participate in developing and implementing security policy,” said Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “The recommendations they produced will be forwarded to the BiH Council of Ministers’ Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Monitoring and Implementation of Security Policy.”

Damjan Jugovic, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and member of the OSCE’s Youth Advisory Group said: “This is a chance for us to get more acquainted with the work of different security and intelligence agencies in BiH and support the co-operation between students from different universities.”

The students also expressed hope that affiliation with the summer school would help them in their future careers. “Having met peers from Mostar and Banja Luka, I realized that we all think alike. We want change and a better future. I am sure the practical knowledge we gained from the school will increase our chances for employment,” said Jovana Bilinac, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo.

The main goal of the Summer School on Youth and Security of the OSCE Mission to BiH is to promote the development of democratic institutions through education of young security experts. The school provides a forum for them to discuss a wide range of security- and policy-related issues and increases their participation in political life as well as decision-making processes.

The organization of the alumni meeting was supported by the Hungarian Embassy in BiH. 

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• Visit to Jajce of international community representatives led by OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
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• Special Representative of OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Gender Issues Verveer to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 to 4 July

ALMATY, 5 July 2016 – The annual OSCE Central Asian Youth Network (CAYN) forum and seminar began today in Almaty.

The three-day event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana for some 35 university students and CAYN alumni from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. Representatives of the OSCE and expert speakers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway and the Russian Federation are also taking part.

The topic of this year’s forum “Renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security” was selected to reflect the priorities of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. The participants will discuss the key challenges for comprehensive security in Central Asia and beyond, and explore ways to address them in their communities and together with co-operation from neighbouring countries. They will also address the issue of civil society’s role in promoting fundamental freedoms and human rights, and re-examine co-operation in Central Asia on its way to integration with a special emphasis on connectivity and multilateral co-operation.

“Through CAYN we hope that when you begin to take responsibility for your communities and your countries you can say with confidence that you have learned about key security challenges in the region,” said Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana György Szabó. “Moreover, you have heard perspectives from some of the best minds in the region and experts from around the world on how to address them.”

Renate Schimkoreit, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany to Almaty presented the priorities of the German OSCE Chairmanship. Pal Dunay, Director of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and Milena Stošić, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Youth and Security, will focus on engaging youth in promoting OSCE values and principles and in addressing security challenges and threats in the wider region. Special attention will be paid to youth involvement in the OSCE's 'United in Countering Violent Extremism' campaign.

The forum will be followed by training workshops focused on using technology for governance, civil society development, networking and data utilization. The event will culminate with an outdoor exercise to promote team building.

Nurlan Dulatbekov, a Member of Kazakhstan’s Parliament spoke about the role of promoting social security as part of national and regional security as well as initiatives to counter violent extremism through engaging youth at the grassroots level.

The event is part of the Office’s efforts to enhance young people’s understanding of contemporary security threats and challenges and to explain the OSCE’s role in addressing them.

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Thirty experts were trained to deliver specialized training courses for judges on how to review corruption–related disputes and prevent corruption in the judiciary during a two-day session, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the National School of Judges on 5-6 July 2016 outside Kyiv.

The trainees, judges-lecturers of five regional branches of the School, enhanced their knowledge of anti-corruption legislation, including national regulations and relevant international conventions, major aspects of judges’ ethics, including the identification and prevention of real and potential conflicts of interest, and judicial review of corruption-related disputes. The purpose of the session was to create a pool of experts able to deliver training courses for their peers at the National School of Judges on a regular basis.

According to the Judicial Education Concept adopted by the School, the training methodology was based on interactive techniques and included discussions, case studies, mini-lectures, various exercises and role plays, and screenings of short simulation videos on the topic.

To ensure the sustainability of OSCE efforts, the training course on anti-corruption will be submitted for institutionalization at the National School of Judges by the end of the year. This course will form part of the School’s mandatory curriculum for every judge appointed to the post.

The training session was part of a project by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine to enhance the quality of judicial education and training.

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• OSCE launches first distance human rights course in Ukraine for judges
• OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine trains social entrepreneurs on social media marketing
• OSCE supports Ukrainian legal education practitioners in developing human rights-oriented approaches to their work

ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 8 July 2016 – A five-day training course supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek on a risk-oriented approach in supervising activities related to anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism concluded today in Bosteri village, in the Issyk-Kul region.

The aim of the workshop, which was organized by the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (SFIS) in partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was to update the relevant State agencies and financial institutions on the practical aspects of a risks-oriented approach in their work. Some 46 officials from law enforcement agencies, supervisory agencies and financial institutions took part.

“A risks-oriented approach is the process which allows the countries to identify, assess and understand risks to effectively combat money laundering and financing of terrorism,” said Nana Baramidze, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre. “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek fully supports the efforts of the Kyrgyz Government in its attempt to establish effective systems to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”

Chyngyz Kenenbayev, Head of the Organizational and Legal department of the SFIS, said: “We are holding this educational seminar to train representatives of national authorities and the private sector so that we can successfully pass the second round of the evaluation by the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG). In order to fulfil international obligations under the EAG, the Kyrgyz Republic is to conduct a mutual assessment of its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism system. From 28 November to 9 December 2016, a visiting mission of EAG evaluators will conduct this assessment within the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) initiative."

The training course, which was conducted by two IMF experts and three SFIS officials, was part of the OSCE assistance to the Kyrgyz Government in preparing for the second round of the FATF evaluation.

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Some 18 officers of the Moldovan armed forces, as well as representatives of the Interior and Justice Ministries successfully completed a training course on the safe handling of ammunition stockpiles held at the Military Academy in Chisinau from 23 February to 11 March 2016.

The participants were familiarized with different types of ammunition, including small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition, and were instructed on how to handle, pack and store ammunition.

“Knowing how to handle ammunition in a manner that does not pose a risk to yourself and to those around you is an essential skill for any member of the armed forces, regardless of their rank,” said Per Normark, Programme Manager of the Conflict Prevent and Resolution programme at the OSCE Mission to Moldova. “This training course has equipped participants with practical knowledge on how to handle a range of types of ammunition, thereby building the capacity of the Moldovan armed forces to ensure a secure and safe environment.”

The course, which was supported by the OSCE Mission to Moldova, was conducted by specialized trainers in the National Army with the guidance of a group of experts from Austria and Sweden.

The training course is part of a multi-year project to train Moldovan ammunition specialists. The aim of the project is to provide the specialists with the necessary skills for the safe and secure storage of small arms and light weapons in accordance with OSCE and international best practices.

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BISHKEK, 18 March 2016 – Some 20 military personnel from the Northern Regional Command and the Southern Regional Command of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces completed an OSCE-supported one-week training-course on maintaining an electronic database system for the management, record-keeping and tracing of small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition.

Organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the General Staff of Armed Forces and Kyrgyz State Committee on Defence Affairs, the course was held in a specialized computer classroom within the premises of the Military Institute of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces for which the OSCE Centre and the British Embassy provided equipment last year.

In 2014 the OSCE Centre in Bishkek signed five agreements with the Kyrgyz Defence Ministry as a part of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the OSCE on Small Arms and Light Weapons and a Stockpile of Conventional Ammunition Programme.

The event is part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s Politico-Military Programme on strengthening the capacity of the Kyrgyz Republic toward the physical security and stockpile management of small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition. This project is being implemented by the OSCE Centre since February 2012. 

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More than 40 specialists from Afghanistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan completed a training seminar on advanced explosive ordnance disposal on April 20, 2016 in Dushanbe, organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan as a part of a multi-year project.

The course, which covered levels one and two of the explosive ordnance disposal curriculum outlined in International Mine Action Standards, was held at the Lyaur Field Training Centre of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defence. The participants came from national armed forces, national mine action co-ordination authorities and civilian agencies which are directly engaged in addressing explosive hazards threats.

“The second explosive ordnance disposal training cycle is particularly significant as it introduces the mentorship approach to training whereby junior instructors – graduates of the first training cycle implemented in years 2014 and 2015 - are providing training shoulder-to-shoulder with their United States Army Central colleagues to the students from Central Asian and Afghanistan,” said Scott Kearin, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Elisabeth Millard highlighted the leadership that the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan has shown in hosting this series of training events. She said: “The need for competent explosive ordnance disposal specialists and trainers is critical for removing landmines and explosive remnants of war that threaten safety and stability in Tajikistan and surrounding countries.” She praised the Tajik Ministry of Defence for hosting a train-the-trainer program that allows them to lead humanitarian mine action programmes in the wider region.

Muhabbat Ibrohimzoda, Director of the Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre, said: “Tajikistan recognizes the present-day threats of explosive hazards and the need to address these challenges throughout the region and on a global level.”

Two separate courses – for Russian speaking and Tajik-Dari speaking groups of students - were facilitated by the OSCE Office in partnership with the United States Army Central and supported by the U.S. Embassy’s Office for Military Co-operation in Dushanbe. They were financed by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.

Since 2009, the OSCE has been supporting the development of co-operative mechanisms on a technical level among states in Central Asia and Afghanistan to address concerns and challenges stemming from explosive hazards.

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SOFIA, 30 JUNE 2016 – OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, concluded a three-day trip to Bulgaria on Wednesday with a visit to the Busmantzi Centre for irregular migrants, and commended the country’s ongoing action to fulfil the Organization’s anti-trafficking commitments.

The government-run camp serves as a detention centre for people on the move who are being returned to their home countries.

“We appreciate the support of Bulgaria to the work of the OSCE in addressing trafficking in human beings as a serious transnational threat, as an integral part of organized crime and a gross violation of human rights,” Jarbussynova said.

During the visit, the Special Representative also met with a number of key officials and spoke at a Discussion Forum on migration and human trafficking.

Bulgaria is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking. It is also affected by the ongoing migration crisis, with large numbers of refugees from Syria and elsewhere currently in the country.

“I know Bulgaria is under particular strain due to the influx of migrants and refugees through its border with Turkey, and recently Serbia, and I am glad to support the authorities in building their capacities to identify potential and actual victims of trafficking among migrants and asylum seekers, and provide adequate protection, in particular to children on the move, including unaccompanied minors,” the Special Representative said.

She discussed these issues with the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Commission to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Meglena Kuneva, Deputy Interior Minister Tsviatko Georgiev, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Maria Shishkova, Chair of the State Agency for Child Protection, Ofelia Kaneva, General Secretary of the General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency Georgi Milchin, and several others, including representatives from international organizations and NGOs. Further co-operation with the Office of the Special Representative, including in training initiatives, was welcomed by the Bulgarian authorities. 

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BISHKEK, 30 July 2016 – To mark today’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported a public awareness-raising campaign and held a public discussion with academic representatives in Bishkek and Osh.

On 29 July, in co-operation with the State Service on Migration, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and local partners, the OSCE Centre raised public awareness about the risks of human trafficking in Bishkek and Osh.

Information material such as pocket calendars with the hotline number and contact information of the Kyrgyz Embassies in the five top migrant destination countries were distributed among the public. Illustrated silhouettes of people, symbolizing victims of trafficking, were displayed on posters in public places with stories in the Russian and Kyrgyz languages narrating their experience of human trafficking.

“Public awareness campaigns play an important role in the prevention of trafficking in human beings,” said William Leaf, OSCE Senior Field Representative in Osh. “The OSCE works to assist the government in improving its education and outreach efforts at the local and central levels in line with its commitments to prevent and combat all forms of human trafficking.”

In addition to the awareness-rising campaign, today the representatives of five local universities in Osh participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Centre for Support of International Protection. The discussion focused on the ways of promoting inter-disciplinary research efforts among students and professors on the scope, tendencies and root causes of human trafficking in southern Kyrgyzstan.  

“As trafficking in human beings is a complex phenomenon, it requires a multi-disciplinary approach, covering, among others, socio-economic, legal, migration, human rights, gender and law enforcement aspects,” said Akylbek Tashbulatov, Director of the Centre for the Support of International Protection. “The academic community have the necessary research potential and tools to positively contribute to the development of such an assessment.”

The events were organized as part of the OSCE Centre’s project on addressing human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan through grassroots initiatives and multi-agency cooperation.

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Youth Forum on “Role of youth in peace-building and ensuring stability in Kyrgyzstan: means of collaboration and cooperation in combating violent extremism and radicalism among youth” will gather some 50 youth and public officials from Tokmok and Osh cities as well as from Batken, Chuy, Osh, and Jalal-Abad provinces in Jalal-Abad city.

Participants will discuss problems in their local communities and country-wide and ways to co-operate closer on security matters in the future. The event focuses on discussion of measures on preventing and combating violent extremism and radicalization among youth in Kyrgyzstan. 

Representatives of the youth and public officials are expected to lay foundation for further co-operation between the authorities and youth as pertains to youth and security policies in the respective provinces/cities and country-wide.

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30 female local council candidates from Batken and Osh regions will participate in a training course on methods, procedures and legislation held in the framework of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek-supported Women Leadership School, organized by the United Nations Women Programme and Women Support Centre.

The event aims to promote capacity building, raising awareness of women in elections and provide them with legal and mentorship support. The training will be focused on the election system and legislation, women leadership, strategic planning, political pre-election platforms, campaigning, analytical reports and other issues.

The local council elections are planned for this coming fall.

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Staff of the National Centre of the Kyrgyz Republic for the Prevention of Torture, with support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek will conduct monitoring visits to the detention facilities in Isyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas provinces between 10 and 17 August. These visits aim at monitoring detention conditions and human rights situation in the closed facilities.

The monitoring findings will be included in the 2016 Annual Report of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture.

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The OSCE Center in Bishkek and the Training Centre for Prosecutors under the General Prosecutor’s Office will conduct a training course for twenty-four public prosecution officers from all provinces of Kyrgyzstan on effective investigation of cases of torture.

The training aims at enhancing theoretical and empirical knowledge of prosecution officers about the specifics of efficient investigation of torture allegations.

The participants will discuss the key challenges arising during investigation of torture allegations and exchange best practices applied within their respective duty stations to address these challenges. 

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OSCE supports workshop on communications and information cooperation for the press officers of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. The workshop will be conducted by an international media trainer and attended by 15 press officers of the General Staff, Border Service, National Guard and State Committee for Defence. It is expected that within the framework of the workshop, participants will practice skills of effective communications with the media and practice a mechanism of information coordination during emergencies.

The workshop is the last part of a professional development programme developed and conducted for 45 commanders of the General Staff. The first two trainings were delivered in Bishkek in Osh in June and July 2016. During the workshops, the commanders improved their skills of communication with mass media and practiced public speaking skills, such as interview skills and participation in talk show. The commanders also participated in a discussion led by an international trainer on the importance of maintaining unified information policy and cooperation with the press service.

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• OSCE supports preventive visits of the staff of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture to the detention facilities in Isykkul, Naryn and Talas provinces
• OSCE Centre supports the 3rd training for prosecutors on effective investigation of cases of torture in Kyrgyzstan

The OSCE Mission to Skopje in close cooperation with the French Embassy is organizing on-site training courses on face recognition for border police officers countrywide. These half-day trainings, to be conducted by a French trainer, will help the border police officers detect impostors and prevent illegal use of documents in order to detect returning freedom-fighters and tackle the phenomenon of cross-border criminality more effectively, especially trans-national organized crime activity, human trafficking and human smuggling.
The first training will be conducted at Deve Bair crossing point, and will also take place at Kjafasan, St. Naum, Medzhitlija, Bogorodica, Dojran, Delchevo and other border crossing points.

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Improving the situation of Roma in Ukraine by enhancing co-operation between Roma civil society organizations and national and regional authorities was the focus of a roundtable meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine in Kyiv on 24 November 2015.

Some 40 participants from Ukrainian national and regional authorities, Roma civil society and the international community, discussed the challenges faced by Roma in the areas of education, employment, housing and policing.

“Further efforts are needed to implement a strong anti-discrimination approach in all policies targeting the integration and protection of Roma and, in particular, of Roma women,” said Mirjam Karoly, ODIHR Senior Adviser on Roma and Sinti Issues. “Measurable progress at the local level can only be achieved if policies are needs-based and have concrete objectives that are matched with measurable indicators and realistic budgets.”

Andriy Vitrenko, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine for European Integration, stated that the Ministry was tasked in 2013to facilitate the implementation of the Strategy on the Protection and Integration of the Roma National Minority into Ukrainian Society up to 2020. “In order to achieve the goals set out in the Strategy, close collaboration among a number of ministries at the national level and good co-ordination with regional and local level authorities are needed.”

During the meeting, the participants emphasized that many Roma lack personal documents, hindering them from exercising their fundamental, social and political rights.

Volodomyr Kondur, Chairperson of the Roma Coalition, said: “We welcome the adoption of national and regional policy documents addressing the problems Roma face, but we want to see effective and sustainable results and ask for ensuring involvement of the Roma civil society in all stages of policy implementation and evaluation.”

The roundtable meeting was organized as a follow-up to ODIHR’s Situation Assessment Report on Roma in Ukraine and the Impact of the Current Crises and in line with the 2003 OSCE Action Plan on Roma and Sinti.

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Legally invisible persons do not have citizenship, social and health protection, education or jobs. “It’s as if we don’t exist in this world,” says Rahman Rahmani a beneficiary of the “European Support to Roma Inclusion” project. Improving access to basic rights is among six areas in which the project provides support to the Roma community in Serbia. In two years, mobile legal teams identified 1,100 legally invisible persons in 97 municipalities and initiated 969 legal cases for Roma before courts. As a result of the free legal aid provided to the beneficiaries, they now have more opportunities in the field of education, health protection and employment.

After six years of efforts, Valjbona Saciri, one of the beneficiaries, who for the first time obtained personal documents thanks to the project, said: “This means the world to me - as if I was born again.” Support provided to members of Roma community through free legal aid is illustrated in the following video (Serbian-language only):

Another important area of the project’s activities is support for employment. The results of a mapping process, which identified best practices in Roma employment, showed that there are many successful Roma entrepreneurs, as well as companies employing Roma, contrary to a common belief.

“I have received strong support –  not only material, but human, too. Someone has actually thought of us, Roma,” says Milos Simic, the owner of a photo store, who received equipment to improve his work through the project. In order to create new employment opportunities for Roma, 18 selected companies that have the potential for employing Roma were granted support with equipment, as well as through mentoring and training.

Pava Cabrilovski, who employed six Roma women in her company, emphasises how important it is for women to achieve economic independence and to find their place in society. Melita Ibinci was unemployed for four years, and now is one of 62 Roma who were provided jobs through the project.

“I hope that these 18 companies will represent a beacon showing that integration is possible,” said Marta Garcia Fidalgo, European Commission Coordinator for Roma Policy. To learn about the impressions of the employed Roma, as well as supported entrepreneurs of the Program of Support for Roma Employment check out the video that follows:

Education represents a priority for the Roma community, as it is considered a prerequisite for prosperity. Within the dropout prevention programme, 1,000 scholarships were granted to Roma secondary school students. In addition to this, the students are assisted and motivated by 208 mentors trained within the project, and supported by their peers. Nenad Ismailovic says that the scholarship means a lot to him, as he can buy a transport pass, books and clothes. Teaching assistants, as part of the mobile teams for Roma inclusion established with the help of the project, provide support to primary school pupils to complete their education. They also assist teachers in improving their work with children. The training and certification of 191 teaching assistants whose job also includes working with Roma and non-Roma children and performing field visits, was organised through the project.

“Scholarships are only an incentive for further education. We need to try and make it, although we are Roma and there is plenty of prejudice,” says former scholarship recipient Djordjina Halilkovic, now a freshman at the Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics in Nis. Why is education important to the Roma community? What is the effect of scholarships and how are the pedagogical assistants and mentors supporting students? See in the next video.

The 4.8 million EUR project “We Are Here Together - European Support to Roma Inclusion” is financed by the European Union and implemented by the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

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BELGRADE, 8 April 2016 - On the occasion of International Roma Day, the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, the United Nations Country Team in Serbia, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade reaffirm our strong commitment to equality and non-discrimination.

Today, the Romani community, Europe's largest ethnic minority, still experiences multiple discrimination and marginalisation in countries throughout Europe, including Serbia.  Roma remain one of the most vulnerable groups; they continue to face difficult living conditions and discrimination in access to social protection, health, employment and adequate housing, as stated in reports by both relevant international mechanisms and independent bodies of the Republic of Serbia.

Thousands of Roma represent the most vulnerable and marginalised among the population of internally displaced, still facing obstacles in accessing rights and durable solutions.

International and European human rights standards clearly provide for equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on all grounds, including ethnicity. The realisation of Roma inclusion will reinforce everyday democracy and the rule of law. It is the only way to reach a society based on the principle of equality of opportunity where everyone has the right to participate and to be heard.

On this day, we therefore call on all relevant stakeholders to pursue with determination 
Roma inclusion policies in Serbia, pursuant to the recent adoption of a new Strategy of Social Inclusion of Roma for the Period from 2015-2025 and the Action Plan for Realization of Rights of National Minorities by the Government of Serbia.

The Delegation of the European Union, the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the United Nations Country Team in Serbia remain committed to improving the lives of Roma in Serbia and  ensuring that their fundamental rights are respected, and to supporting our Serbian partners in this endeavour.

International Roma Day is celebrated annually on April 8, in commemoration of the 1971 founding of the International Romani Union, the first major international Romani civic initiative.

Statistical information on Roma in Serbia

• 90% of children in Roma settlements are growing up in poverty. The infant and under-5 mortality rate is two times higher than that of the general population, 15% of Roma children are born with low birth weights, one fifth is malnourished and only 13% are fully immunized.
• Romani children continue to face discrimination in the education system. Only 6% of children from Roma settlements attend early learning programs, only 64% finish primary school on time, and  only 22% attend secondary school (of whom only 15% are girls).
• Romani women and girls face multi-sectoral discrimination, as well as heightened barriers of access to services, including services for victims of violence.    Early, arranged marriage remains an issue in some segments of Serbia’s Romani communities, with very destructive consequences for – in particular – the child bride.

For more information & media inquiries please contact:

Aleksandra Stamenkovic, United Nations Country Team Communications Expert, email: aleksandra.stamenkovic@one.un.org, Phone +381 11 415 5314

Nadezda Dramicanin, Delegation of the EU to Serbia Communications Officer, e-mail: Nadezda.DRAMICANIN@eeas.europa.eu, Phone: +381 11 3083 200

Ivana Milatovic, OSCE National Political and Press Affairs Officer, e-mail: ppiu-serbia@osce.org, Phone +381 11 3606 151

Mona Alghaith, Council of Europe Office, Assistant to the Head of Office, e-mail: mona.alghaith@coe.int, Phone. +381 11 71 555 00

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WARSAW, 19 April 2016 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, today visited the headquarters of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in the context of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Office.

Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier, who was joined for the visit by Witold Waszczykowski, Foreign Minister of Poland, met with ODIHR Director Michael Georg Link, before addressing guests and ODIHR Staff. In his address, he highlighted the background to the decision for the establishment of ODIHR in Warsaw, while stressing the continued importance of the Office’s work.

“The first democratic elections in 1989 in Poland marked the start of great change in Europe. It was not by coincidence that Warsaw was chosen as the seat of ODIHR – with this the OSCE paid tribute to the important role of the first Polish non-communist government since 1947 in the democratic re-shaping of Europe,” the German Foreign Minister said. “Today, 25 years later, I am in Warsaw to commend ODIHR, with its team of 150 people from 34 OSCE states, for its outstanding work: You are the chief promoters and defenders of the OSCE’s principles and commitments in the Human Dimension.”

“This task is never easy – it builds on your dedication to human rights and fundamental freedoms, it requires a reliable budget and it deserves the full support of all OSCE participating States,” he added. “ODIHR can count on Germany’s commitment, as OSCE Chairmanship, but also beyond.”

Director Link took the opportunity to express his thanks to both guests for their countries’ support for the Office.

“Over the past 25 years, ODIHR has grown into the OSCE’s principal human rights body, and this work is more important today than ever,” he said. “We are grateful for our host country’s continued support and appreciate the Chairperson-in-Office’s commitment to ODIHR and its mandate to promote human rights and democracy throughout the OSCE region.”

“ODIHR plays a major role not only in the process of monitoring human rights, but also in providing assistance with the implementation of commitments undertaken in the OSCE area,” said Polish Foreign Minister Waszczykowski. “ODIHR is an institution that truly makes a difference and, therefore, we fully support the work of every member of its highly devoted team.”

ODIHR was established in 1991 – originally as the OSCE Office for Free Elections – by a decision of OSCE heads of state and government at the Paris Summit in November of the previous year. The name was changed to its current form and its mandate significantly expanded in 1992, to providing assistance to governments and civil society in OSCE participating States in improving democratic governance, guaranteeing human rights and fundamental freedoms, and promoting tolerance and non-discrimination. 

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WARSAW / BUCHAREST, 2 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), called today for greater efforts to protect endangered memorial sites related to the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II.

Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of the liquidation of the “Gypsy family camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, when the close to 3,000 remaining Roma and Sinti in the camp were murdered, they stressed that states have to do more to demonstrate their sincere and strong commitment to education about and remembrance of the genocide.

“Positively, we have seen increasing attention in recent years on the part of OSCE participating States to commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide, and to educate people about this horrible event. This practice and these experiences should be widely shared and replicated,” Director Link said. “Promoting understanding of the Holocaust and its effect on different communities can help to create empathy and promote equality and non-discrimination for all.”

“Accurate and ethical education about the Holocaust includes the respectful and dignified preservation of memorial sites,” said Ambassador Constantinescu. “States have to take resolute action to protect endangered memorial sites and continue to do more to commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims. The history of these endangered sites should be included as part of broader efforts to educate about the consequences of indifference to racism.”

They called on governments to ensure that endangered memorial sites for Roma and Sinti victims are preserved and protected, to include this history as an integral part of civic and human rights education in their countries. They stressed that current developments, including a disturbing rise in xenophobic public rhetoric and racism, mean it is even more essential to build strong alliances among different communities.

In 2003, with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, the OSCE participating States committed themselves to strengthen education about the Roma and Sinti genocide. Through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, ODIHR promotes knowledge about and recognition of the plight of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust to counter present-day discrimination and racism, and to promote tolerance. According to ODIHR’s recent publication Teaching about and Commemorating the Roma and Sinti Genocide: Practices within the OSCE Area, seven OSCE participating States officially commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide on 2 August, while a larger number of states commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims on the International Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an inter-governmental organization and the foremost international network of political leaders and professionals advancing and shaping Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Its 31 member countries are committed to the tenets of the Stockholm Declaration. The IHRA Committee on the Genocide of the Roma aims to increase the commitment of IHRA Member Countries to educate, research and commemorate the genocide of the Roma.

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ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 26 May 2016 – A two-day regional expert seminar which started today gathers some 60 anti-corruption practitioners, experts and policy-makers from 12 countries in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia to discuss effective preventive measures to combat corruption in the extractive industries and education sectors and to exchange best practices.

Participants discussed how to improve government accountability and transparency in managing natural resources and assessed how to mitigate negative effects of the so-called “resource curse”. They also focused on corruption in the education sector, and how to enhance the quantity, quality, efficiency of, and access to education systems.

“The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is strongly committed to supporting the Kyrgyz Government in countering corruption and developing projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening good governance, economic growth and public integrity for the benefit of the Kyrgyz people,” said Yulia Minaeva, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. 

Ermelinda Meksi, Deputy Head of the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, said: “Corruption, weak governance, and lack of transparency and rule of law undermine economic growth and impede trust in public persons and government institutions. Bribery and embezzlement of state resources deter domestic and foreign investments and deprive citizens of important public services. If unchecked, corruption can provoke social strife, fuel insecurity and even lead to conflicts.”

The practice-oriented and interactive seminar combined expert presentations, roundtable discussions and group work. It benefited from the participation of representatives of the UN Development Programme, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and the Open Society Initiative.

Olga Savran, manager of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN), said: “This seminar helps public officials responsible for preventing corruption at national and sectoral levels learn about effective practical measures that do work, that improve the lives of citizens, and prevent the waste of public money.”

The seminar is co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and the OECD ACN. It is hosted by the Kyrgyz Government and held as part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s Economic and Environmental Dimension activities.

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Some 70 representatives of akimats (municipalities) in villages of Kazakhstan’s Tselinograd District’s met on 27 May 2016 in Akmol, Akmola region, to discuss the ongoing local self-governance reform and brainstormed on how to further develop the legal and institutional framework.

The event participants reviewed economic and financial aspects of local self-governance, administrative offences proceedings, public procurement, state property management as well as community involvement in the decision-making process at the local level.

The training seminar was supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the National Economy Ministry. The event is part of the Programme Office’s long-standing efforts to promote good governance and democratization in Kazakhstan. 

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Corruption risks, challenges in accountability and transparency as well as the legislative and regulatory frameworks in public procurement, customs and taxation, free competition and monopolies, were the focus of a workshop supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan held on 28 and 29 May 2016 in Aghveran, in Armenia’s Kotayk region.

The event was attended by more than 60 people including officials from the Government Anti-corruption Programmes Monitoring Unit, the Ministry of Justice, the State Revenue Committee, the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition, and the Internal Public Financial Oversight and Public Procurement Methodology at the Ministry of Finance. Representatives from business unions and associations, other non-governmental organizations, economists and journalists also participated.

“The Government of Armenia has underlined the importance of addressing corruption risks,” said Suren Krmoyan, Armenian Deputy Minister of Justice. “The private sector can play a crucial role in that and we are eager to make changes and take the initiative to address concrete issues.”

Naira Gyulnazaryan of the OSCE Office, said: “We hope that this event will promote close co-operation between the Government, business organizations and civil society towards fighting corruption in the business sector.”

The event was organized in partnership with the Armenia's Ministry of Justice, the European Union, the Armenian Lawyers' Association, the Anti-Corruption Coalition of Civil Society Organizations of Armenia and Freedom of Information Centre. It is part of the OSCE Office’s efforts to strengthen the engagement of civil society, business companies and associations in addressing corruption risks and to establish a solid platform among the government, civil society and private sector to contribute to state reform.

Challenges in customs regulatory frameworks were discussed at an event on May 25 in Gyumri and another discussion on state revenue issues in the regions will be held in Vanadzor. 

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BISHKEK, 22 June 2016 – The OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported a two-day Internet Governance Forum in Central Asia, the first of its kind, which concluded today in the Kyrgyz capital.

Some 100 specialists in the field of internet governance and development, including representatives of the Central Asian state authorities, telecommunication experts, internet service providers, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations from Europe and Central Asia, discussed issues related to cyber security and regulations, the development of the Domain Name System (DNS) industry, as well as global and national approaches to accessing the internet.

“Kyrgyzstan ceased to be a ‘dead-end’ country in terms of the Internet in 2015 and has opened connections to countries in South-East and South Asia,” said Ernis Mamyrkanov, Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication. “This enhances the role of Kyrgyzstan in the issue of regional transit. Now we need a platform where all participants can discuss relevant issues and this Forum is intended to take that place.”

Daniele Rumolo, acting Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said that governments have a role to play when it comes to regulating the Internet. “This responsibility extends to the protection from harmful content, and fighting cybercrime. However, governments must ensure that all stakeholders, including civil society, business actors, and internet-users, are consulted and continuously involved in these efforts.”

The Forum was co-organized by the Ministry of Transportation and Communication and the Civil Initiative on Internet Policy Public Foundation, supported by the SecDev Foundation (Canada), Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Internet Society, the United Nations Development Programme in Kyrgyzstan and the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

The Forum is part of the OSCE Centre’s project on promoting national dialogue and capacity building on the information security needs of the Kyrgyz Republic. 

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As part of a one-year project to support the engagement of national minority youth and civil society in public discussions and public service, a roundtable discussion was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 24 June 2016.

The event brought together 23 representatives of the Moldovan Parliament, the authorities of Gagauz-Yeri, civil society and the international community to discuss institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities.

Independent researchers from the Comrat-based NGO Piligrim-Demo presented a recent report detailing the joint commissions formed over the years to initiate dialogue on the implementation of Gagauzia’s status as an Autonomous Territorial Unit. They outlined their recommendations for improving the functioning of the current working group established between the Parliament of Moldova and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia. 

“Such discussions on the process of dialogue between civil society, the expert community and members of the Parliament and People's Assembly are important as they provide critical input to the process and build common understanding of issues,” said Jale Sultanli, Country Manager Moldova of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). Participants from Comrat and Chisinau welcomed the opportunity to study past and present practices to strengthen co-operation between the central and regional authorities in Moldova.

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The first meeting of the ‘Follow Us’ Initiative for 2016, facilitated by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, took place in Skopje from 12 to 14 February 2016. The meeting brought together 18 prominent women working in politics, media, academia and civil society from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade, to take stock of achievements and plan future activities.

The participants reviewed the initiative’s successes such as the Dialogue Academy for young women from Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština, and the promotion of the dialogue through the ‘Follow Us’ documentary. They recognized the importance of furthering the inclusion of more women in this process in order to expand the dialogue across different sectors and agreed on an action plan of concrete activities for 2016. Additionally they developed longer-term frameworks for action in key areas affecting women’s lives and equality.

In a joint statement, the members of ‘Follow Us’ Initiative said: “We agreed to implement joint activities in the following areas: economic empowerment of women, gender in education, prevention of gender-based violence, political participation and representation of women at all levels, engendering media and the portrayal of women in media and public life, and promotion of dialogue among youth.

We also reconfirm the importance of dialogue and co-operation and highlight the contribution of women to it by taking concrete steps to bring the two societies closer together.”

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Legally invisible persons do not have citizenship, social and health protection, education or jobs. “It’s as if we don’t exist in this world,” says Rahman Rahmani a beneficiary of the “European Support to Roma Inclusion” project. Improving access to basic rights is among six areas in which the project provides support to the Roma community in Serbia. In two years, mobile legal teams identified 1,100 legally invisible persons in 97 municipalities and initiated 969 legal cases for Roma before courts. As a result of the free legal aid provided to the beneficiaries, they now have more opportunities in the field of education, health protection and employment.

After six years of efforts, Valjbona Saciri, one of the beneficiaries, who for the first time obtained personal documents thanks to the project, said: “This means the world to me - as if I was born again.” Support provided to members of Roma community through free legal aid is illustrated in the following video (Serbian-language only):

Another important area of the project’s activities is support for employment. The results of a mapping process, which identified best practices in Roma employment, showed that there are many successful Roma entrepreneurs, as well as companies employing Roma, contrary to a common belief.

“I have received strong support –  not only material, but human, too. Someone has actually thought of us, Roma,” says Milos Simic, the owner of a photo store, who received equipment to improve his work through the project. In order to create new employment opportunities for Roma, 18 selected companies that have the potential for employing Roma were granted support with equipment, as well as through mentoring and training.

Pava Cabrilovski, who employed six Roma women in her company, emphasises how important it is for women to achieve economic independence and to find their place in society. Melita Ibinci was unemployed for four years, and now is one of 62 Roma who were provided jobs through the project.

“I hope that these 18 companies will represent a beacon showing that integration is possible,” said Marta Garcia Fidalgo, European Commission Coordinator for Roma Policy. To learn about the impressions of the employed Roma, as well as supported entrepreneurs of the Program of Support for Roma Employment check out the video that follows:

Education represents a priority for the Roma community, as it is considered a prerequisite for prosperity. Within the dropout prevention programme, 1,000 scholarships were granted to Roma secondary school students. In addition to this, the students are assisted and motivated by 208 mentors trained within the project, and supported by their peers. Nenad Ismailovic says that the scholarship means a lot to him, as he can buy a transport pass, books and clothes. Teaching assistants, as part of the mobile teams for Roma inclusion established with the help of the project, provide support to primary school pupils to complete their education. They also assist teachers in improving their work with children. The training and certification of 191 teaching assistants whose job also includes working with Roma and non-Roma children and performing field visits, was organised through the project.

“Scholarships are only an incentive for further education. We need to try and make it, although we are Roma and there is plenty of prejudice,” says former scholarship recipient Djordjina Halilkovic, now a freshman at the Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics in Nis. Why is education important to the Roma community? What is the effect of scholarships and how are the pedagogical assistants and mentors supporting students? See in the next video.

The 4.8 million EUR project “We Are Here Together - European Support to Roma Inclusion” is financed by the European Union and implemented by the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

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BELGRADE, 8 April 2016 - On the occasion of International Roma Day, the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, the United Nations Country Team in Serbia, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade reaffirm our strong commitment to equality and non-discrimination.

Today, the Romani community, Europe's largest ethnic minority, still experiences multiple discrimination and marginalisation in countries throughout Europe, including Serbia.  Roma remain one of the most vulnerable groups; they continue to face difficult living conditions and discrimination in access to social protection, health, employment and adequate housing, as stated in reports by both relevant international mechanisms and independent bodies of the Republic of Serbia.

Thousands of Roma represent the most vulnerable and marginalised among the population of internally displaced, still facing obstacles in accessing rights and durable solutions.

International and European human rights standards clearly provide for equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on all grounds, including ethnicity. The realisation of Roma inclusion will reinforce everyday democracy and the rule of law. It is the only way to reach a society based on the principle of equality of opportunity where everyone has the right to participate and to be heard.

On this day, we therefore call on all relevant stakeholders to pursue with determination 
Roma inclusion policies in Serbia, pursuant to the recent adoption of a new Strategy of Social Inclusion of Roma for the Period from 2015-2025 and the Action Plan for Realization of Rights of National Minorities by the Government of Serbia.

The Delegation of the European Union, the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the United Nations Country Team in Serbia remain committed to improving the lives of Roma in Serbia and  ensuring that their fundamental rights are respected, and to supporting our Serbian partners in this endeavour.

International Roma Day is celebrated annually on April 8, in commemoration of the 1971 founding of the International Romani Union, the first major international Romani civic initiative.

Statistical information on Roma in Serbia

• 90% of children in Roma settlements are growing up in poverty. The infant and under-5 mortality rate is two times higher than that of the general population, 15% of Roma children are born with low birth weights, one fifth is malnourished and only 13% are fully immunized.
• Romani children continue to face discrimination in the education system. Only 6% of children from Roma settlements attend early learning programs, only 64% finish primary school on time, and  only 22% attend secondary school (of whom only 15% are girls).
• Romani women and girls face multi-sectoral discrimination, as well as heightened barriers of access to services, including services for victims of violence.    Early, arranged marriage remains an issue in some segments of Serbia’s Romani communities, with very destructive consequences for – in particular – the child bride.

For more information & media inquiries please contact:

Aleksandra Stamenkovic, United Nations Country Team Communications Expert, email: aleksandra.stamenkovic@one.un.org, Phone +381 11 415 5314

Nadezda Dramicanin, Delegation of the EU to Serbia Communications Officer, e-mail: Nadezda.DRAMICANIN@eeas.europa.eu, Phone: +381 11 3083 200

Ivana Milatovic, OSCE National Political and Press Affairs Officer, e-mail: ppiu-serbia@osce.org, Phone +381 11 3606 151

Mona Alghaith, Council of Europe Office, Assistant to the Head of Office, e-mail: mona.alghaith@coe.int, Phone. +381 11 71 555 00

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Serbia’s legal framework for governing elections to the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors’ Council is fairly comprehensive although there are a few minor issues with implementing the laws and regulations, partly as a result of gaps in the law. This is the conclusion of a joint Report launched on 24 May 2016 by the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The OSCE Mission and ODIHR followed the elections of judges and prosecutors to the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors’ Council throughout Serbia in December 2015, in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM), a local civil society organization. The election processes were conducted without any major irregularities observed.

The Report makes a number of recommendations, largely similar for both the judicial and prosecutorial councils, including amending and further developing the legal framework regarding the election process for the judicial and prosecutors’ councils, the candidates’ nomination process, and procedures for resolving disputes and providing effective remedies.

The findings and recommendations resulting from the election monitoring will help inform the public about the ongoing judicial reform process in Serbia. The relevant state institutions and justice stakeholders will also have an objective assessment to assist them in further strengthening the independence, accountability and efficiency of the Serbian judiciary.

The Report is available at: https://www.osce.org/odihr/242346

The OSCE Mission to Serbia and ODIHR stand ready to continue supporting the legal reform efforts of the Serbian authorities in line with the recommendations of this report and OSCE commitments.

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