From Fundación Secretariado Gitano we value the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review to Spain and we ask for firm commitments to guarantee the rights of Roma. [editar]

In the framework of the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Spain has received more than 300 recommendations from other States, including several specifically aimed at improving the situation of the Roma population.

Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) welcomes the recommendations presented by the delegations of more than 120 countries during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Spain, which took place on 30 April in Geneva, and whose report has just been published.

The UPR is a key mechanism for the protection of human rights and the promotion of inter-State dialogue promoted by the United Nations Human Rights Council and involves the evaluation of the human rights record of each State.

During the review, many States urged Spain to redouble its efforts to combat structural discrimination affecting the Roma population, including:

• Effectively combating anti-Gypsyism, through effective measures to address discrimination.
• Eradicating school segregation and improving equal access to the education system.
• The promotion of inclusive employment and the elimination of barriers that perpetuate the exclusion of Roma from the labour market.
• The adoption of measures to guarantee access to decent housing and the prevention of forced evictions without adequate housing alternatives.

Different countries also stressed the need to strengthen mechanisms for reporting and protection against hate crimes and discrimination, as well as to ensure that law enforcement agencies do not engage in ethnically profiled practices. 

In response to these recommendations, the Spanish government responded by highlighting the legislative initiatives developed in recent years: the approval of the National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of the Roma People 2021-2030, the inclusion of the term ‘anti-Gypsyism’ in the Criminal Code and the designation of 2025 as the Year of the Roma in Spain. 

Although these measures represent important advances, the FSG considers that their implementation must be real and effective, with concrete measures, sustained over time and with sufficient resources, with monitoring indicators and evaluation of results.

In the words of Sara Giménez, Director General of Fundación Secretariado Gitano ‘The evaluation of the UPR clearly shows that equality for Roma people is not yet a reality. This evaluation must be translated into a firm response: it is time to turn commitments into tangible policies that concretely improve the lives of Roma’.

At Fundación Secretariado Gitano we will work to ensure that the recommendations of the UPR are translated into an ambitious roadmap, well resourced and with a firm political will that guarantees real and effective equality for Roma.