Following the acquisition of ECOSOC status at the UN in June 2018, the procedure for appointing IRU members to UN offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna has also begun.

So far, almost all of the designated members of the IRU have been registered as representatives of the IRU who will participate in the UN working sessions in the upcoming period.

Also as a new IRU representative at the UN Office in Vienna, he received his accreditation from Elizabeth Fine of Austria, Vienna. She is assigned to be at the UN office in Vienna.

In addition to being a prominent IRU delegate, Fine is also active in other fields closely linked to Roma activism.

Graduated from the Faculty of Interior Design. She is also a member of the Roma Party, which is part of the Inter-Parliamentary Roma Organization.

Elizabeth Shajn Fluent in Romani, Serbian, German, English and Slovak.

The IRU Parliament has set out a time-table for the completion of preparations for holding
of the first electronic elections, taking place in connection with the XI World Roma Congress.
In accordance with that schedule, the program commenced officially on 15 September.

This means that new voters should, without delay, notify their intention to participate in
elections by sending an email now to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Individuals wishing to enter themselves as candidates for functioning positions in the IRU need likewise to send details to this email address. They will be asked for a photograph
and biographical background, along with a declaration as to their intentions and priorities.

Meanwhile, it is intended that the active campaign for Voter Registration should continue
until 31 January, 2020.

For candidates, the cut-off date has been set for 31 December 2019!

The technical side of the Election Process is at an advanced stage, as required when the
Democratic Transition Commission was created at the 10th Congress in 2016.

However, the building of a recognizable popular Mandate will yet require intense work over coming months if the target of 10,000 voters is to be reached before closure of registration.

The DT Commission, therefore, calls upon all activists who believe in the establishment of fixed democrat norms as a means of ensuring the expansion and strengthening of our national movement to set their hand to this task. Spread the word! Encourage friends, family and colleagues to enroll now!

The long-term aim of creating a Roma Nation Mandate, with voters among the communities throughput the global Roma Diaspora, is both desirable and doable. The foundation has already been laid through the list of several thousands voters in all parts of the world.

It’s the great leap-forward which can gain for the Roma Nation a place among the world family of nations. Not only a place but a political voice commensurate with the size of that Nation Without Borders defined with passion by delegates to the extraordinary 5th Congress in Prague at the start of this millennium.

Alongside the 1971 1st World Roma Congress, the Prague Congress set the parameters. Let us together work to make the scheduled 2020 XI Congress be the one that takes an axe to those chains that have held us down so long!

Viva the Roma Nation!

Grattan Puxon, - chair IRU Democratic Transition.

The IRU [International Romanì Union] was born out of the 1st World Roma Congress, opening in London on 8 April 1971. Grattan Puxon was among the chief organizers and founder members of the Congress and IRU. Today the IRU is headed by Zoran Dimov, elected at the 10th Congress in Skopje in 2016.

Therefore, in taking this path agreed at the London Conference, we recognize the vital and essential need to improve our existing organization and our collective capacity. All of us are willing to work with the International Romani Union and president Zoran Dimov, and those mandated from the 10th Congress in 2016.

As part of the 2 August events, we collectively presented at Europe House [home of the EU
in the UK capital] a memorandum in support of the IRU proposal for the creation of corps of Roma Ombudsmen, able to act effectively on complaints ofdiscrimination and racism perpetuated against Roma, and Romani and associated communities.

During the Conference, it was noted with
appreciation that the IRU following the regaining of NGO status with ECOSOC, has commenced activity at the United Nations in New York, Geneva and Vienna.

Above all the Conference attached great importance
to the adoption by the 10th Congress of the programme for democratic reform, and the creation of the Democratic Transition Commission, which is working to carry through those changes. The basic task has involved setting up an electronic voting system, which can enable people in communities throughout the global Roma Diaspora to participate in the future democratic election of a mandated collective political representation.

The Voter List currently contains some 5000 emails [an email address is the one essential required: each new voter must send name and city location to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]

The Democratic Transition, Grattan Puxon explains, holds the potential for the creation of a full-scale and recognizable Roma Nation Mandate. When [and only if] this potential is realized it will bring new legitimacy, ensure accountability and award a more powerful voice to a respected and recognized Roma Nation.

In a word, the political influence due our numbers – yes, scattered around the world but now linked through the latest technology and advancing collectively in a rapidly changing world.

The Voter List at its current stage, enables organizers to reach out to activists in all corners of the world, assisting those determined to mobilize joint action on Roma Nation Day; wishing to achieve greater immediate response to instances of abuse and attack as they happen. The first need for such action to which the London Conference found itself alerted was the brutal murder of Garni Rama in Pristina. Lokhi phuv leske.

The Conference was in agreement that in view of the crisis felt across Europe, and especially inItaly, we must work to build a network able to coordinate protest againstrising anti-Roma racism and violence. The aim is encourage communities throughlocal NGOs all to come out together withone common theme on Roma Nation Day 2020.

Let’s prepare together a great European day of protest for next “8 April”, with demonstrations in all countries and major cities. After that, we’ll organize a huge demonstration in Brussels to impress upon representatives of the European Commission our determination to end anti-Roma violence and hostile political policies – and gain in their place full protection and civil rights, together with respect and recognition of the Roma Nation.
The Conference endorsed the plans of the IRU to hold the first electronic elections in connection with the convening of the 11th World Roma Congress, scheduled to take place in 2020. Each of us present pledged to assist in the expansion of the Voter List in order to increase both grass-roots participation in the election process and enhance the potential for that larger-scale mobilizations when necessary.

On 13 September 2019, at 6.00 pm, at Palazzo Chigi, had a meeting PM Giuseppe Conte, Zoran Dimov, Zeljko Sajn of the International Romanì Union, delegates of the National Council of Roma Sinti Caminanti (RSC) from all over Italy. The organization is followed by Diplomatic Counselor Benassi Pietro of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

The meeting with the Government was requested in order to implement the European Structural Framework Agreements, the National RSC Inclusion Strategy, the correct use of European Structural Funds, allocated to Italy by the European Commission in the period 2014 - 2020. There are 7 billions of euros for the inclusion of homeless, unaccompanied foreign minors, victims of trafficking and slavery, prisoners and ex-prisoners, Romani people. Discussions focused on compliance with national and European laws relating to the Supervisory .

Also, the President of the IRU Zoran Dimov submitted the decision made by the IRU Parliament to establish a Roma Ombudsman - Contact Point headed by Srdjan Fine and at the same time the IRU Strategic Resolution.