[JURIST] The UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák, called on the countries of the world Wednesday to focus [press release] on human rights struggles of the Roma people and to take action to end discrimination and racism. Wednesday marks International Roma Day. Izsák urged nations to protect minority rights as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities [text, PDF] and asked that media portray the Roma people objectively and avoid sensationalism. She also expressed concern over the lack of adequate governmental representation of Romani people throughout the world, even among organizations designed to protect their rights. Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] also reported Wednesday that Roma people are still regarded as inferior throughout Europe, facing challenges [AI report] particularly in education. According to AI many Roma school children are bullied or segregated in schools in European countries, highlighting events in France, Slovakia and Greece. US Secretary of State John Kerry [official profile] also released a statement [official statement] Wednesday, reaffirming US commitment to equal protection of all Romani people.

International rights groups have consistently campaigned for improved human rights for the Roma people living in Europe. Last year AI released a report [JURIST report] detailing the chronic prevalence of hate crimes and discrimination perpetrated against the Roma diaspora in Europe. In April 2013 AI also issued [JURIST report] a press release similar urging the EU to end discrimination against Roma communities throughout Europe. That same month, a UN rights expert called [JURIST report] for EU member states to do more to ensure basic human rights for the Roma people in Europe recalling that the UN Human Rights Council [official website] “made nearly 250 recommendations to almost 30 countries concerning the situation of Roma communities.” In January 2013 the European Court of Human Rights condemned [JURIST report] Hungary for segregating Roma students and wrongly placing them in remedial schools.