Union Romani Voice Participates in the UK Parliamentary Launch of the Council of Europe Strategy for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2026–2030)
London, United Kingdom | 2 July 2026
On Thursday, 2 July 2026, Union Romani Voice participated in the official United Kingdom launch of the Council of Europe Strategy for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2026–2030) at a cross-party parliamentary event held at Portcullis House, Westminster, in the UK Parliament.
The event was organised by the Council of Europe Roma and Travellers Division in partnership with Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) and hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma (APPGGTR). Chaired by Mary K. Foy MP, the event brought together Members of Parliament, representatives of the Council of Europe, government departments, local authorities, universities and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller civil society organisations from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
During the event, Eleni Tsetsekou, Head of the Roma and Travellers Division of the Council of Europe, and Georgios Stamatis, General Rapporteur on Roma and Travellers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), presented the new Strategy and outlined the responsibilities of Council of Europe member States to strengthen equality, combat anti-Gypsyism, promote inclusive education, support democratic participation and improve the inclusion of Roma and Traveller communities.
The parliamentary discussion also featured contributions from representatives of civil society and academia, highlighting the importance of tackling discrimination, improving educational opportunities, increasing public awareness and ensuring that Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities are fully involved in decision-making processes.
Union Romani Voice was proud to be represented at this significant parliamentary event by Simona Lazar, Chief Executive Officer. During the discussions, she highlighted the importance of strong cooperation between governments, public institutions and Roma-led organisations to ensure that the Strategy delivers real and measurable improvements for communities.
Drawing on her experience as a former trainee with the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, where she contributed to consultations related to the development of the Strategy, Simona Lazar emphasised that adopting a strategy is only the first step. She stressed that genuine progress will depend on effective implementation, sustained partnership working, adequate investment and clear accountability at local, national and European levels.
“The launch of the Strategy is an important milestone, but its success will be measured by the real changes experienced by Roma and Traveller communities. We must work together to ensure that this Strategy is translated into practical action, stronger partnerships and tangible outcomes that improve people’s lives.”
— Simona Lazar, CEO, Union Romani Voice
Union Romani Voice welcomes the Council of Europe Strategy for Roma and Traveller Inclusion (2026–2030) as a significant opportunity to strengthen human rights, equality and social inclusion across Europe.
As a Roma-led charity based in the United Kingdom, Union Romani Voice remains committed to working with public authorities, parliamentarians, local councils, educational institutions, community organisations and international partners to support the implementation of the Strategy and to ensure that Roma communities have a meaningful voice in shaping policies that affect their lives.
The organisation looks forward to contributing to the implementation of the Strategy over the coming years through advocacy, community engagement, policy dialogue and practical support for Roma and other European communities living in the United Kingdom.
Real change begins with implementation. Together, we can ensure that the ambitions of the Council of Europe Strategy become a reality for Roma and Traveller communities across the United Kingdom and Europe.
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