The human rights ombudsman dr. Zdenka Čebašek - Travnik inaugurated a cultural and information centre in a Roma settlement in northeastern Slovenia together with the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe (CoE), Thomas Hammarberg.
Commissioner stressed the importance of Slovenia's experience in integrating the Roma for other European countries at the ceremony in Kamenci near Cresnovci which was held on the occasion of International Roma Day.
Slovenian Human Rights Ombudsman dr. Zdenka Cebasek - Travnik said at this occasion that where the local community is not willing to cooperate, there are tensions, but where the mayors realized the importance of coexistence, problems are much fewer, and everyone should follow this.
She explained that she briefed the commissioner on achievements as well as problems in Slovenia, while they agreed that "best practice needs to be advertised and black marks should not be kept concealed".
Issues related to the Roma were also on the agenda of Thursday's meeting between Cebasek Travnik and Hammarberg. The pair also discussed the issue of the erased, the nationals who were removed from Slovenia's registry of permanent residents in 1992.
The ombudsman told the commissioner that the problem of the erased was being resolved in line with the Constitutional Court's ruling which demanded retroactive restitution of permanent resident status, but she also said that little interest had been expressed in renewal of permanent resident status in Slovenia.
Hammarberg wanted to know about the possibilities of compensation for the erased.
Meanwhile, the ombudsman passed a favourable assessment about the progress in the resolution of issues concerning Roma and Sinti populations. She presented discussions with representatives of various groups in the two communities and efforts at making the financing of the communities transparent.
Cebasek Travnik believes general intolerance of the Roma is in decline, while it is still present in local communities. She believes active resolution of issues between the Roma and majority communities would help reduce intolerance, a press release from her office said.
