Clinton promotes Roma rights in video blog

AFP

April 8

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton highlighted the need to protect the rights of Europe's Roma minority on Wednesday, marking International Roma Day with a video message on her official blog.

Clinton released the video on State Department's "Dipnote" website, although the traditionally nomadic people, widely plagued by poverty and discrimination in central and eastern Europe, has long been unable to access modern communication tools.

"Many Roma still live on the margins of society," acknowledged Clinton.

"They continue to experience racial profiling, violence, discrimination and other human rights abuses.

"Too often they lack identity documents or citizenship papers, which excludes them from voting, social services, education, and employment opportunities that would enable them to participate more fully in the countries in which they live."

European governments have a "special responsibility to ensure that minority communities have the tools of opportunity they need to succeed as productive and responsible members of society," said Clinton.

The large ethnic group numbers some 10 million, and Clinton said the population's well-being has been a personal interest for her for a long time.

"I saw firsthand the plight of the Roma -- particularly Romani women and children -- when I visited Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe as First Lady."

The United States, she said, is "committed to protecting and promoting the human rights of Roma," and will push for Roma integration through the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"It is in the interests of the larger European and global community to create conditions that maximize success for all people within our borders and beyond," she said.

Serbia, which currently holds the presidency of the Decade of Roma inclusion -- an international initiative aimed to improve Roma welfare -- pledged Wednesday to improve the community's standards.

Speaking before lawmakers on International Roma Day, Labour and Welfare Minister Rasim Ljajic said Roma welfare remains "far from satisfactory."

The ethnic minority in Serbia is 10 times poorer than the rest of the population," he noted, citing surveys that show that one in four "does not have even an elementary education."