Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues Roma and Sinti communities continue to suffer widespread discrimination in the OSCE area, affecting all aspects of their lives. ODIHR works through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues to support the rights of Roma, further their integration and combat discrimination. Its work is grounded in several key documents: the OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area; Ministerial Council Decision No. 6/08 on Enhancing OSCE Efforts to Implement the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti Within the OSCE Area; and Ministerial Council Decision No. 8/09 on Enhancing OSCE Efforts to Ensure Roma and Sinti Sustainable Integration. These commitments were further strengthened at the end of 2013 at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Kyiv with the adoption of Decision No. 4/2013 on Enhancing OSCE Efforts to Implement the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma within the OSCE Area, with a particular focus on Roma and Sinti Women, Youth and Children. In 2013, ODIHR issued its second status report on the implementation of the OSCE Roma and Sinti Action Plan. The report marked ten years since the adoption of the Action Plan and pointed to new positive developments, such as the surge in funding for Roma integration and new national strategies established across the OSCE area, while highlighting persisting problems and challenges exacerbated by the global economic crisis, rising anti-Roma rhetoric, and extremism and violence targeting Roma and Sinti. As part of its focus of work in this area with young people, ODIHR kick-started the innovative Roma Youth Initiative, a programme designed to enhance the participation of Roma and Sinti youth in their communities. Activities implemented in Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania and Spain focused on grassroots engagement to keep Roma children and youth from leaving school, improve performance in education and facilitate access to healthcare. The Office also co-sponsored a Roma youth initiative to commemorate the Nazi Roma and Sinti genocide in order to raise awareness about the suffering of Roma and Sinti and combat current forms of racism and discrimination against them. ODIHR supported governments in policy implementation in relation to Roma and Sinti, continuing earlier co-operation with the Moldovan government, among others. Co-operation with other international organizations, civil society and academia continued throughout the year. ODIHR Annual Report 2013  /   61