The Raoul Wallenberg Prize for 2018 has been awarded the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). The Council of Europe announces the Raoul Wallenberg Prize every two years since 2014 and it goes to either a group, single individual or an organization that has accomplished an extraordinary humanitarian achievements. The prize is named after the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who saved tens of thousands of Jews and other people at risk in Hungary at the end of World War II.
On January 17 2018 Thorbjørn Jagland, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, awarded 10.000 EUR prize to ERRC. The Council of Europe’s motivation was that ERRC has performed an outstanding and impressing contribution to raise awareness of the human rights situation of the Roma people, which is the largest ethnic minority in Europe. Jagland expressed his happiness that the 2018 award goes to an organization who inspiring young Roma people and showing them a possible future and an organization that is breaking down barriers for Europe’s largest minority. Jagland also added that the ERRC has proven effective and relentless in combatting human rights abuses and anti-Romani racism in many countries.
ERRC is a long term partner of the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Sida) where the cooperation has developed over the time. Based on the relevance of their work for Swedish priorities and the good long term cooperation, Sida remains with ERRC as a partner for Roma rights work in Europe for the remaining part of the Swedish Strategy period.
ERRC is one of a few regionally operating Roma rights organisations in Europe. In general, the context for human rights based work is deteriorating in Europe as elsewhere and Roma issues tend to fall down the list of political and social priorities for the countries concerned. Therefore it is important that Sweden’s commitment and support remains. Sweden’s annual budget is 10mSEK for the WB region including Serbia for 2018, 2019 and 2020 for continued support to ERRC for their rights based work in relation to Roma minority as an important part of the countries’ EU integration process.
The Embassy of Sweden in Belgrade has been active to contribute to better inclusion of Roma in Serbia’s society like for instance the programme that ended but provided important technical assistance to the Office of Human and Minority Rights of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, in coordination and realisation of the objectives of the National Strategy for the Improvement of the Position of Roma in the Republic of Serbia, while cooperation also with other relevant Ministries and institutions is being realised to support implementation of the set programme priorities. The programme is implemented by OSCE. The implementation aims to reflect a programme-based, rights-based, participatory, demand-driven and comprehensive approach. The programme foresees strengthened participation of Roma in the planning and implementation of Roma inclusion policies at both central and local level.
