CONTACT POINT FOR ROMA AND SINTI ISSUES Lívia Járóka, the sole Roma Member of the European Parliament and the Vice-chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, speaking at an OSCE meeting on human rights, Vienna, 7 November 2013. (OSCE/Micky Kroell) ACTIVITIES Based on the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area and subsequent Ministerial Council Decisions, ODIHR’s activities focused on: ƻƻ ƻƻ ƻƻ ƻƻ ƻƻ Launching the 2013 second Status Report on the implementation of the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti Within the OSCE Area; Supporting the empowerment of Roma and Sinti representatives, particularly Roma and Sinti women and Roma youth; Raising awareness about the Roma and Sinti genocide; Assisting governments in policy implementation relating to Roma and Sinti; and Increased co-operation with intergovernmental and international organizations. The 2013 Status Report on the Implementation of the Action Plan In 2013, ODIHR published its second Status Report on the Implementation of the OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti Within the OSCE Area. The report assessed the policies and actions of OSCE participating States since 2008 while providing a general overview on the situation of Roma and Sinti in the OSCE area. The report findings are based on 41 responses to an ODIHR questionnaire. Among the major findings, the report underlines the increase in funding of and the availability of policy frameworks for Roma and Sinti inclusion across the OSCE area. At the same time, it highlights persisting 62  /   ODIHR Annual Report 2013