Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues Nicolae Gheorghe (left), thenHead of the ODIHR’s Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, listens as consultant Robin Oakley addresses a meeting on Roma and Sinti communities and the police, MIRVETE MUSTAFA Skopje, 13 June. II. Combating racism and discrimination Racism and discrimination against Roma and Sinti — also known as anti-gypsyism — have been on the rise in the last decade and a half. Deep-rooted forms and expressions of racism have become more visible since the collapse of the communist bloc. And new forms of hostility, rejection, and hate continue to be expressed freely across the OSCE region, including within national parliaments, the European Parliament, and by leaders belonging to extremist political parties. Discrimination at the hands of the police is an area of concern, particularly since the police should protect Roma and Sinti individuals and ensure their equal treatment under the law. Roma and Sinti representatives continue to report frequent instances of police brutality; the use of unjustified and disproportionate force, including against women and minors; a lack of timely and effective police intervention to protect Roma and Sinti against collective violence from majority populations; and continued mistrust between the police and Roma and Sinti communities. The ODIHR continued a project on policing in Roma communities in 2006 that calls for consultations between law enforcement agencies and Roma and Sinti communities. This initiative aims to foster institutional change within police forces and to assist in transforming the police into a provider of protection and prevention services for all. International workshops and roundtables were organized in Romania and the United Kingdom that brought together high-level law enforcement officials and Roma NGOs in an effort to assess states’ policing practices in relation to Roma and their compliance with international human rights standards. The Romanian police produced a report in 2006 that reviews their policies and practices in relation to Roma. Based on a self-assessment that began in 2005, the report outlines lessons learned from the assessment and identifies areas where the police need to take action in order to uphold policing standards and to ensure that the rights of Roma are respected. The ODIHR plans to publish the report to encourage police forces in other participating States to undertake similar assessments as the basis for institutional reform. Annual Report  77