01/08/2023 Equality and Non-Discrimination
“On 2 August, we remember and honour the victims of the genocide perpetrated against Roma during the Second World War,” said the Parliamentary Assembly’s General Rapporteur on combating racism and intolerance, Petra Bayr (Austria, SOC), speaking ahead of Roma Holocaust Memorial Day 2023.
“Continuing lack of awareness of this genocide contributes to a climate in which prejudice, discrimination and hate crime can all too easily flourish. On the occasion of Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, I urge parliamentarians and political leaders to intensify their efforts to tackle the persisting marginalisation and discrimination faced by Roma and Travellers in their daily lives, to put an end to the hate speech, stigmatisation and racist violence that target them, and to ensure that the history of Roma and Travellers is included in mainstream accounts of history and in history teaching,” she said.
“I call on political parties, in particular, to use this occasion to join their fellows in signing up to the Charter of European political parties for a non-racist and inclusive society, and to take on its simple commitments, such as to reject all forms of racism and intolerance, avoid negative stereotyping and stigmatisation, and refrain from forming alliances with political parties that incite racial or ethnic prejudices and hatred. In so doing, political parties can in a very tangible way honour the memories of those who died and commit to a better and more inclusive future,” she concluded.