UN-HABITAT has joined the international partners of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 at the invitation of the Decade’s Presidency, currently held by Serbia.  The Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005–2015 is a political commitment by governments in Central and South-eastern Europe to improve the socio-economic status and social inclusion of the Roma population within a regional framework.
A large percentage of the Roma population lives in slums and substandard housing throughout Europe. Improvement of the living environment is one of the main focuses of the Decade and Serbia made it a key priority of its Presidency. UN-HABITAT already cooperates with Roma organizations and supports local integrated projects for the regularization and upgrading of Roma settlements in South-eastern Europe. With this new partnership, UN-HABITAT will cooperate with the Decade’s Secretariat to enhance the attention of participating countries and international partners on the housing and land tenure issues through thematic workshops and guidelines. |
