Motion #01
The traditional way of life of ethnic Gypsies, Roma and Travellers is threatened by the recent Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, criminalising nomadic life. Systemic barriers for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities remain. This motion seeks to address these barriers and ensure equity, equality, and justice for these communities.
Insert new RR700 – RR707 to replace RR700 - RR709, and renumber PSS accordingly:
Heading: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Rights
RR700 The UK Parliament should adopt specific Anti-Gypsy, Roma and Travellerism legislation or adapt the current Equality Act with specific provisions;
RR701 As a signatory and ratifier to the treaty, the UK Government should follow more closely the provisions of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities;
RR702 The UK Government should elaborate, adopt and implement a new National Strategy that addresses Gypsy, Roma and Traveller inequalities in life outcomes, and that supersedes the current National Strategy to Tackle Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Inequalities. The UK Government should support the creation of an effective, efficient, wider and recognized Gypsy, Roma and Traveller representative body, that will partner the UK Government and Parliament in this process of developing and implementing this Gypsy, Roma and Traveller National Strategy;
RR703 To improve representation and to raise public awareness regarding the Roma and Sinti Holocaust, the UK Holocaust Commission should accept at least one member of Roma and Sinti origin;
RR704 To improve the decisions in cases of Anti-Gypsy, Roma and Travellerism brought forward to the Commission, the UK Equalities and Human Rights Commission should invite at least one Gypsy, Roma or Traveller member on to its committee;
RR705 Local Council Authorities to support the creation of a Local Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Mediators network, that will aim to improve Gypsy, Roma and Traveller access to public services and the gathering of more comprehensive and accurate data on the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller population;
RR706 The Green Party aims to ensure everyone is provided with housing appropriate to their needs and would encourage the UK Government, Devolved Government and Local Councils Authorities to support a statutory duty to provide a national network of Gypsy and Traveller sites, both private and local authority (residential, negotiated and transit) on safe and healthy land;
RR707 Local Council Authorities and other civil society actors should support the preservation and promotion of Gypsy Roma Traveller cultural heritage (e.g. June – Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month, 8 April – International Roma Day, 2 August – Roma Holocaust Day, cultural events, fairs, festivals, etc). We would call on the Department for Education to give special attention to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller language and history and to include elements of this in the formal education national curriculum.