Roma Integration 2020 Action Team met Mr Suad Numanovic, Minister of Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro on 28 May 2016 in Podgorica. This was the first consultative meeting of the project team with the responsible officials in Montenegro. Mr Numanovic set the context of discussion by informing the team on the newly adopted Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians 2016-20 with accompanying 2016 Action Plan, as the third consecutive strategic document on Roma inclusion in Montenegro. The Minister also noted that all relevant ministries participated in the formulation of the Strategy, including appropriate budgeting.

For the full and effective participation in the Roma Integration 2020 project, Montenegro is considering appointment of the most suitable official as National Roma Contact Point, in consultation among different institutions and with the civil society. To this end, participants at the meeting agreed that support and capacity building of the civil society is still needed and further capacities and regional exchange of experience would benefit both institutions and civil society in Montenegro.

The Minister highlighted the challenges laying ahead of Montenegro on the path to Roma integration, notably the full integration of refugees and internally displaced persons within the Montenegrin society and the improvement of the housing conditions of Roma and Egyptians throughout Montenegro. Optimism was expressed based on the plans within the new Strategy, as well as the negotiations for EU membership, particularly Chapter 23 on judiciary and fundamental rights.

Minister Numanovic underlined the three principles of the Strategy: equality and equal opportunities, non-discrimination and desegregation. Particularly important concept elaborated by the Minister as a need in the forthcoming period was the idea of individualized integrated approach, by which a Roma person or family should cooperate closely with a social worker providing a link to all the public services that within a carefully planned course of actions would achieve the objective of lifting up the Roma from poverty and their full integration in the society. The Roma Integration 2020 Action Team considers this idea worth developing in supporting, as Montenegro may pioneer it and make it a success story to be shared throughout the region.