CONTACT POINT FOR ROMA AND SINTI ISSUES ACTIVITIES ODIHR’s work on issues relating to Roma and ­Sinti communities in the OSCE area is guided by the 2003 Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti and the relevant Ministerial Council decisions. In 2014, ODIHR focused on the following issues: • Roma and Sinti in crisis situations; • Enhancing public and political participation of Roma and Sinti, especially women and youth; • Security issues, including relations between police and Roma and Sinti communities; • Raising awareness about the Roma and Sinti genocide to counter current forms of racism and discrimination against them; and • Assisting the governments of OSCE participating States in implementing their policies on Roma and Sinti. Public and Political Participation of Roma and Sinti, especially Women and Youth ODIHR’s work on Roma and Sinti issues centers on enhancing the public and political participation of these communities, in line with the relevant findings of the Implementation of the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area: Status Report 2013. In 2014, ODIHR’s activities in this regard included hosting an expert meeting, in Warsaw on 28 November, addressing opportunities and risks for Roma and Sinti engaging in ­local-level politics. The meeting convened 15 Roma and Sinti political activists, elected representatives and politicians, and experts and academics with extensive experience and knowledge related to the political participation of Roma and Sinti. To explore current mechanisms for political participation of Roma and Sinti at the local level and to highlight both opportunities and UKRAINE | 2014 Roma and Sinti in crisis situations Upon receiving reports of attacks against Roma in Ukraine against the backdrop of the crisis there, ODIHR conducted a specific monitoring exercise in the country in June and July 2014, and publicized its findings in the report “Situation Assessment on Roma in Ukraine and the Impact of the Current ­Crisis”. The report highlights the difficult situation of Roma living in Ukraine, where recent political and security developments have had a negative impact on the community, especially for those who have been displaced as a result of the conflict in the east. As in other conflicts the OSCE region has seen in the past, Ukrainian Roma remain a vulnerable population due to the lack of civil or residence registration documents, which has a negative impact in situations of displacement and hampers their access to humanitarian assistance, or their recognition as internally displaced persons 60 ODIHR Annual Report 2014 according to the law. Civil registration documents, which Ukraine’s Roma often lack, are a precondition for every individual to enjoy basic rights and services, including civic rights enabling them to participate in elections or to run for political office. The assessment also emphasized that Roma in Ukraine face inadequate housing conditions, police misconduct towards Roma, and difficulties accessing quality education and employment. Negative attitudes towards Roma persist within society, while there is limited recognition of the discrimination Roma face. The report was launched on 29 September 2014, at a side event during the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw, with the participation of Ukrainian officials and Roma civil society. ODIHR also shared the report with the Ukrainian authorities and is prepared to assist them in addressing the key findings of this mission.