Respected
The International Roma Union - IRU, as the first and largest Roma organization in the world, which represents over 60 members and delegates from 50 countries from all continents, is deeply concerned and devotedly following the latest developments regarding the situation of Roma from the village of Vojvodina - Plovdiv, R. Bulgaria and the demolition of their houses.
At the same time, the fact and rhetoric used in this case is also worrisome by senior state officials in the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria (for example, the Minister of Defense, Mr. Karakachanov), directs his hate speech towards Roma from this state, only encourages an even more extreme charge against this population.
We are all aware that it is necessary to abide by the legal regulations and respecting the laws themselves, but it is also necessary to take into consideration the important human aspect. In times when weather conditions do not allow it, and actions are taken to leave literally in the street, women, children, elderly and feeble people are an indication that it is not really a policy that is advocated by a country that is part of the European family and fights against all forms of discrimination, segregation, intolerance and other activities that violate basic human rights.
This is more like a form where, from one group, party, leader or sympathizers of one political option, they achieve their pre-election promises and gain political points than any state strategy.
This kind of intolerance only perceives some events that are not coming back for decades of the last century
There are forms and ways of resolving possible problems, which we believe that Bulgaria has democratic instruments for their resolution. It can also be done through various adopted state strategies for solving problems such as housing, employment, education and social inclusion.
Here we believe also the numerous civil society organizations that can solve painful and favorable solutions in order to solve these problems together with the state.
Therefore, the IRU appeals to all relevant international organizations and institutions such as the European Union, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the UN, the OSCE, the ODIHR, the Helsinki Committee and others to take immediate actions and respond to this type of discrimination and intolerance to fight its effective elimination of such phenomena.
At the same time, the IRU, which has its own Plan and Program, a resolution and similar documents available to all the above mentioned institutions to cooperate in finding optimal solutions, are in the spirit of respecting fundamental human rights. At the same time, IRU together with the Bulgarian state bodies can work in finding optimal solutions that will benefit all stakeholders.
Once again, the IRU, appeal to all international institutions and organizations to take steps and actions for the elimination of this kind of undemocratic actions.

With respect
Zoran Dimov
President of IRU

A regular Plenary Session of MEPs will be held today in Brussels (30 January 2019) in the European Parliament. Within this session, an event will be held that will also mark the Day of Remembrance the Holocaust.

It is important to point out that the President of the International Roma Union - IRU, Mr. Zoran Dimov, as well as the IRU Vice President Anatoly Butakov was invited from the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Antonio Tajani. They will take part and at the same time will present the Strategic Framework prepared by IRU, as well as the adopted Strategic Resolutions also adopted by IRU.

At the same time, a meeting will be held between the EP presidents and the IRU, and will exchange views on further joint cooperation.

Within the celebration of the memory of the Holocaust, Dimov will have the opportunity for his short presentation in honor of this day.

Otherwise, during this event, there are announcements for short bilateral meetings between the senior leadership of IRU and other enthusiastic officials from this European institution.

This year, IRU starts very successfully. This confirmation was also received by the European Parliament in Brussels and the United Nations in New York. Earlier, the IRU team prepared a Starter Resolution as well as a program under the name "Local Act - Global Impact" which sent them to all relevant international institutions for consideration for inviting her to presentations.
It was fruitful after the Office of the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the Vice-President Livia Jaroka received an invitation to the President of the IRA Zoran Dimov for his participation at the next EP meeting to be held on January 30 in Brussels, where he will also have and a solemn ceremony marking the Holocaust International Day. The same invitation is being prepared by the UN, where the IRU has its own EOSOS status, and during the celebration of the International Roma Day - April 8th, to present the Strategic Resolution and the elaborated program "Local Act - Global Impact".

Otherwise, the Strategic Resolution of the IRU in brief reflects the following:

We as representatives of the Roma people make efforts to protect the Roma population and our future generations from all negative occurrences in the past, in the present and in the future, in all forms of discrimination, hate speech, segregation, intolerance, violence, genocide, antigypsism and at the same time we are deeply believe in respect of the human fundamental rights, equality between all genders, creation of favorable climate for respect of the rights, respect of the basic democratic principles of freedom, and the life standard, as well as the elimination of all of the irregularities, in collaboration with the international institutions which are obliged for that.
I as a President of the International Romani Union believe that we couldn't think for the future without return to our history and acknowledge its values along with the countries where Roma live and helping them with socio-economic politics and culture of the Roma.
Otherwise, the Local Act-Global Impact contains important points such as. The legal, socioeconomic, educational and cultural status of Roma in Europe for greater inclusion.

Legal Objective: Improvement of the access of Roma individuals to legal, sociological and psychological aid to improve system inclusion;
Socio -Economic Objective: Increase of the employment rate of Roma people and foster inclusion of Roma owned and operated businesses in the system;
Educational Objective: Protect the Roma language, decrease of the rate of illiteracy of the Roma people and enable adult education to foster employability;
Cultular Objective: Promotion and protection of the Roma culture, tradition and customs as means for keeping the Roma identity, enabling future prosperity and eradicating existing stereotypes and prejudices for achieving greater inclusion.

On Wednesday in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, a meeting of the Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Group had a meeting, where the MP Samka Ibraimovski presented the Declaration on the Rights of Roma in the Republic of Macedonia. According to his claims, that Declaration is his idea and his work. Immediately afterwards there was a stormy discussion of social networks, between which also the President of IRU, Zoran Dimov, doubted that this Declaration was actually taken and copied from the Strategic Framework 2019 -2021 and the Start-up Resolution entitled "Roma in Crisis: A Nation in Motion" prepared by the International Roma Union-IRU. These two important documents were adopted after the developed discussions and meetings between the IRU delegates during 2018, besides IRU members in the preparation of those strategic documents, experts from those areas took part. The same documents have already been sent to the UN and the EU, as well as published on the IRU Web site - https://iromaniunion.org/index.php/en/ Because of that suspicion on social networks, a discussion was developed where, among other things, MP MP Ibrahimovski publicly states in his comments to the FB that this is his work, and that the Declaration was not taken from anyone denying the moment that he took it from others, but not presented the content of that declaration, adding that it was not yet complete and that there would be a Resolution, which would later be presented. In addition to all these claims, the IRU reacts that these documents are created on their side where all Roma from the world are included (including the Roma from the Republic of Macedonia), and that there is a doubt that this document was provided by one of the team of experts who was indirectly involved in his creation, and then may be given to Samka Ibraimovski. At the same time, in the previous claims by MP Ibraimovski, because of disagreements as to what individual, party after the schism and the dismissal of the previous minister without portfolio Axel Ahmedovski, and the struggle for that position, the names of the candidates are until the appointment of incumbent minister without portfolio Bajram Muzafer, there was a splash and split in the PCER party itself and a division of the western and eastern bloc. When the job with the appointment of a minister without portfolio ended, the opinion is that due to the suspicion that this split in PCER is the work of some NGOs from the eastern bloc, it has come up with claims that the Roma NGO sector in the past years embezzled over $ 25 million and the results are gone! He publicly publicized these doubts and accusations through social networks. It is questionable why Samka has not reacted to this knowledge so far, and if there are already knowledge of which Roma and non-Roma NGOs have received the funds to provide a list of insights and show, or more popularly called, make a "White Paper" for not to put the entire Roma NGO sector in the same basket. There are institutions that will deal with this problem, and not publicly "blur" NGOs that may work transparently, accountable, and properly. But it would also be even more transparent if he himself offered to report on his contribution so far and as an MP, as well as Minister without Portfolio, about the work done and where all the funds allocated to him were given. In any case, according to the announcements, the IRU will not stand here, and in every way it will seek the answer and truth in the above interpretations.