MINISTERSTVO VNUTRA SLOVENSKEJ REPUBLIKY

The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (hereinafter referred to as “the Office of Plenipotentiary”) was established in 2001 as a national public body. By the Government resolution no. 308 of 27 June 2012, the Slovak Government approved a new Statute of the Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities (hereinafter referred to as “Plenipotentiary”) with the transition of the Office of Plenipotentiary from the Government Office of the Slovak Republic to the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. According to Article 3 Paragraph 1 of the current Statute, the Plenipotentiary as an advisory body to the Government on Roma communities in Slovakia and performs tasks aimed at addressing the issues of Roma communities and implement systematic measures to improve the situation and integration of Roma, particularly in the development, execution and coordination of effective policies and in implementation of measures aimed at preventing social exclusion of Roma communities. The seat of the Office of Plenipotentiary is located in Bratislava, but it coordinates several regional offices located in regions with higher concentration of Roma communities. In the programming period 2014-2020 the Office of Plenipotentiary has become a recipient of five national projects - NP Field social work; NP Community centres in municipalities with presence of marginalized Roma communities; NP Settlement and legalization of lands; NP Pre-primary education and NP Monitoring and evaluation of inclusive policies and their impact on marginalized Roma communities. This has reinforced personnel capacities of the Office of Plenipotentiary. On the basis of the Resolution no. 1 of 11 January 2012 adopted by the Government of the Slovak Republic, the Plenipotentiary together with relevant ministers coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Strategy of the Slovak Republic for Roma Integration up to 2020. Within the scope of its mandate, the Plenipotentiary fulfils the following regular tasks: 1. proposes and implements measures in cooperation with central state administration bodies, local government authorities and non-governmental organizations, 2. prepares background papers and opinions for the Government meetings, 3. consults activities of the Office of Plenipotentiary with the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic and the Ministers, 4. coordinates activities of the Office of Plenipotentiary with the activities of other departments of the Ministry of Interior and other central state administration bodies, 5. in cooperation with relevant institutions and authorities, prepares, enters, coordinates, monitors and evaluates programs aimed at improving the situation of Roma communities in the society, with particular emphasis on: i) raising educational level, access to education and vocational training, ii) improving living conditions in settlements with Roma communities, iii) raising legal awareness, iv) increasing active participation of the Roma in public life and governance, v) use of human and professional potential, vi) scientific research on the issues of Roma communities, vii) active participation in international projects aimed at improving lives of Roma communities, viii) fulfilment of tasks arising from the revised National Action Plans for the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015 for the years 2011-2015, ix) fulfilment of tasks arising from the Strategy of the Slovak Republic for the Integration of Roma up to 2020. x) fulfilment of tasks related to the implementation of the assistance provided by the European Union within the framework of cohesion policy, xi) employment, employability and labour market integration, xii) improving housing, xiii) improving health care, xiv) improving security and public order, 6. organizes meetings of the concerned institutions and authorities and, in agreement with them, proposes appropriate measures and conclusions, 7. addresses the concepts developed by state administr