On Friday, August 26th, 2025, Bulgaria had its Universal Periodic Review Pre-session. A Pre-session is a meeting on the human rights situation in a specific UN Member State. Pre-sessions provide national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) with an international platform through which they can inform the representatives of the recommending States about…
At the Global Conference for a Caste Free World 2025, held in Toronto, Paul Divakar Namala delivered a powerful address that spotlighted the enduring global crisis of caste and descent-based discrimination. His speech, titled “Addressing Caste and Descent-Based Discrimination: A Global Imperative,” weaving together deep historical insight, lived experiences of oppressed communities, appealed for an…
In July 2024, Simona Torotcoi addressed the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, a subdivision of both the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Economic and Social Council, responsible for the entire organisation’s policy on sustainable development. Simona, a Roma from Romania and currently working with the ERGO Network, is a part of…
By Siljana Hyseni, Roma Rights Expert, GFoD As a marginalized group, the Roma minority, estimated to be between 8,301 and 120,000 people, continues to experience systemic discrimination, social exclusion, and poverty. These challenges have significantly impacted their access to education, healthcare, employment, and housing. On Friday, August 30, 2024, Albania will have its Universal Periodic Review…
The Roma community is one of the largest Communities Discriminated based on Work and Descent (CDWD) in Europe. In Albania, the Roma population is estimated to be between 8,301 and 120,000. Roma minority was recognized as a national minority in October 2017 based on Law No. 97/2017 “On the Protection of National Minorities in the…
