Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues T here are communities of Roma, Sinti, Travellers and other groups often referred to as Gypsies throughout the OSCE region, and in Central and South-Eastern Europe in particular. These communities have been persecuted throughout their history, were victims of the Holocaust and, since the fall of communism, in many places have been the targets of hostility and even greater exclusion from mainstream society. Roma and Sinti have found themselves among the victims of a rise in the strength and violent manifestations of extremist movements in a number of OSCE participating States in recent years. ODIHR has been tasked with helping improve the situation of these communities within the OSCE area. Whether in the form of passive intolerance or outright hatred, discrimination has pushed these communities to the fringes of society, where many of their members exist with limited access to life’s basic necessities and rights, including food, water, a secure place of residence, education, health care and employment. In Maastricht in 2003, the OSCE adopted the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of the Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, based on the understanding that societies split along ethnic lines defined by inequality, hatred and exclusion threaten individual human security. employment, education, housing and health care, while leaving them increasingly vulnerable to being targeted with racially motivated crimes and abuse at the hands of the police. The inadequacy or outright absence of protection from the responsible authorities and relative impunity for those who commit crimes against the Roma and Sinti exacerbate the dangers and difficulties for these communities. kk Housing and living conditions: Establishing a legal residence with secure living conditions is a prerequisite for access to basic rights. The inability to establish a legal address often makes it impossible for Roma and Sinti to register for public services or access the labour market. The lack of a secure residence leaves them vulnerable to forced evictions, makes it difficult for Roma and Sinti to gain land tenure or civil registration, and often makes it impossible to enrol in schools or benefit from adequate healthcare. kk Participation in public and political life: The discrimination faced by Roma and Sinti prevents them from playing a significant role in the public and political life of the societies in which they live. A lack of awareness of many Roma Main Issues kk Racism and discrimination: The post-communist transition in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe has exposed divisions in societies in these regions, with the resulting tensions often expressed in terms of racism or discrimination against vulnerable communities, including Roma, Sinti and related groups. This has prevented these groups from gaining access to Annual Report 2008 57