Roma policy in Finland

Romanipolitiikka - kuvituskuva

The overall objective of Finland’s National Roma Policy is to promote the inclusion, participation and equality of the Roma in different spheres of life.

The policy programme is a comprehensive action plan, prepared in cooperation with different authorities and representatives of the Roma community. The Government has adopted the programme.

Finland’s third National Roma Policy is based on the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation, the wishes of the Roma population, the national knowledge base and the monitoring of the previous Roma Policy.   

The National Advisory Board on Romani Affairs operates in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The Board’s duties include monitoring and promoting the Roma population’s economic, social and cultural living conditions, promoting equality and opportunities for participation in society for the Roma and preventing discrimination against the Roma.

International regulation and cooperation in Roma affairs

In recent years, the European Union has developed cooperation structures for promoting Roma inclusion. The EU also works to promote the status and inclusion of the Roma in the Member States by, among other things, disseminating information and experiences on best practices between the Member States and supporting the preparation and implementation of national Roma strategies.

The EU has set objectives for developing Roma policy in the EU and its Member States.

On 12 October 2020, the European Commission published a communication and its supporting documents on the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation up to 2030. In this connection, the Commission also published a proposal for a Council recommendation on more detailed measures. The recommendation was adopted on 12 March 2021.

The Council of Europe, which is a European organisation for intergovernmental cooperation, has worked for over 40 years to promote the human rights and status of the Roma in Europe. Its Parliamentary Assembly and Committee of Ministers have issued numerous recommendations to the Member States on promoting the rights and status of the Roma.

In addition, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN) work actively to further the status of the Roma in Europe.

Roma affairs are also on the agenda in Nordic cooperation.

Publications on Roma affairs

Updated: 30.7.2024 13.07