Hungary awarded “Certificate for Diversity”
Hungary was awarded a Certificate for Diversity by the Dutch civil organization Unity is Strength in recognition of the country’s achievements in the social integration of the Roma minority. State Secretary Edit Rauh who is in charge of equal opportunities in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, received the award on behalf of the Government of Hungary, which currently holds the Presidency of the Decade of Roma Inclusion. Since 2005, Unity Is Strength, supported by the Dutch government, the municipality of Rotterdam and various international institutions, has acknowledged individuals, institutions and countries who have achieved outstanding results in the struggle against discrimination. Based upon the evaluation of the DecadeWatch initiative, Unity Is Strength awarded its Certificate for Diversity this year to the government and people of the Republic of Hungary as an acknowledgement of the significant role they played in the integration of ethnic Roma, and their achievements toward fulfilling the goals of the Decade of Roma Inclusion and the creation of a multicultural society.
In her speech at the award ceremony, Rauh emphasized that Hungary has been working on a long-term strategy for integrating the Roma for more than ten years now; such results however could not have been achieved without the cooperation and support of the Hungarian Roma organizations. It was for this reason that she invited two representatives from Roma NGOs to join her on stage as she received the award.
