A/HRC/29/24 70. In the fight against anti-Gypsyism and discrimination, political will must be actively encouraged. While much has already been achieved at the international and regional levels, there is a gap at the national and local levels, which remain crucial for achieving meaningful change for communities. Unfortunately, action taken to address Roma disadvantage often still depends heavily on the personal commitment of the particular political leader in power. Such an approach does not institutionalize anti-discrimination as a political goal, but rather reduces it to a subjective choice dependent on the goodwill of individual political actors. Moreover, as Roma are a disenfranchised minority group, they will often have little political influence or negotiating power at the local level. If leaders commit to combating discrimination against Roma as a national priority, that will be one important way to provide local politicians with a political constituency to focus on Roma rights. C. Lack of a multisectoral, human rights-centred approach in policy development 71. The marginalization experienced by Roma is often interconnected with disadvantage in the area of economic and social rights, often stemming from, or leading to, further impediments in civil and political rights and vice versa. However, the Special Rapporteur has observed a tendency of Roma programmes to focus on short-term, issue-specific projects that fail to adopt an integrated approach that addresses multisectoral disadvantage. Many measures and instruments focus exclusively on one policy area and are delivered through uncoordinated projects with insufficient connection to other, interconnected policies and funds. For example, housing programmes that tackle issues of adequacy, including ghettoization and segregation, that are not linked to employment opportunities will have little prospect for long-term sustainability. Comprehensive solutions should take account of intersecting discrimination that Roma face and ensure that programmes are developed in genuine consultation with affected communities. 72. There is also an unfortunate tendency to compartmentalize the so-called “Roma issue” into the category of poverty alleviation, and to view Roma issues through the exclusive lens of economic and social rights. This can lead States to focus solely on programmes that address questions of housing, health care, employment and education. While such projects are critical to overcoming key areas of Roma disadvantage, this narrow approach fails to incorporate an interconnected understanding of human rights and may also further entrench the perception of Roma as impoverished beneficiaries of social support rather than active rights holders. It also excludes other segments of Roma communities, including middle-class Roma who may want to focus on their rights to political and public participation or to culture. 73. The Special Rapporteur further observes that many policies and programmes fail to adequately incorporate combating racism and anti-Gypsyism in their programming goals. The Special Rapporteur reiterates that there are too many policies based exclusively on improving Roma access to material or social benefits, including educational and/or vocational training. Such policies, she warns, treat symptoms only and do not address the root causes of disadvantage, which lie within deep-seated discriminatory attitudes that have become entrenched over generations. She therefore emphasizes the need to better incorporate anti-discrimination as an overarching element in all strategies and programmes affecting Roma, including through outreach to non-Roma groups on non-discrimination and equal treatment. 17