Plaatsvervangend secretaris-generaal Maud de Boer: integratie Roma Italië noodzakelijk (en)

Press release - 545(2007)

Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General: Italy should take action to integrate Roma

Strasbourg, 14.08.2007 - "When a Roma child dies due to deplorable living conditions, the whole society bears the responsibility and not only the parents", said Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio today following the deaths of four Roma children in a fire on the outskirts of Livorno, central Italy.

"I invite the Italian authorities, both at State and local level, in coordination with each other, to take the necessary steps towards Roma integration by adopting comprehensive action plans including public information campaigns to combat discrimination and deep-rooted prejudices against Roma. There is a great need for people to understand who the Roma are, and especially, what they are not".

Established democracies like Italy have lessons to learn from the Council of Europe awareness-raising campaign Dosta! (Basta!) which was initially launched in five countries in the western Balkans in 2006 and will be extended to at least seven more countries in 2008.