Regional systems 119 Many national and international NGOs representing minorities or working for the realization of their rights provide information to the Commissioner’s Office on a regular basis. They also make use of the Commissioner’s findings and recommendations in their own work. Contacts and further information Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights Council of Europe F–67075 Strasbourg Cedex France Tel: 33 3 88 41 34 21 Fax: 33 3 90 21 50 53 E-mail: commissioner@coe.int Website: www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Default_en.asp Council of Europe engagement on Roma issues The Council of Europe estimates the number of Roma presently resident in Europe at between 10 million and 12 million. Roma are among the most deprived of all communities, with many living in extreme poverty, facing racism and discrimination on a daily basis, and being excluded from the normal life – and protection of fundamental rights – that other people take for granted. In October 2010, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe launched an initiative to bring the member States to agree on priorities for better social inclusion of Roma and respect for their human rights. From 2011, a dedicated team has worked on the issue, led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Roma issues. It acts as the hub for a range projects, discussed below. Capacity-building and awareness-raising Training programme for mediators Mediators build a bridge between Roma communities and local public institutions. They work to enrol Roma children in local schools, ensure that families obtain proper health care, obtain identity cards, secure decent housing and find jobs. The ROMED training programme for mediators for the Roma community began in October 2010 and the European Commission joined the programme in July 2011. Specialized training took place in 21 countries during 2011 and 2012. A new training curriculum for mediators (available in 16 languages) has been drawn up, together with the European Code of Ethics for Mediators to protect mediators against abuse and to enhance the quality of services provided. A European pool of 38 ROMED trainers has been created, 21 of whom are of Roma origin. The European Database on Mediators is a valuable resource with up-to-date information on various aspects of Roma mediation in a number of countries.139 Training for lawyers defending Roma Since 1996, the Council of Europe and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) have organized training sessions to encourage and assist advocates in bringing cases involving Roma before the European Court of Human Rights (see above) and the European Committee for Social Rights (under the European Social Charter mechanism for collective complaints). The Programme for Available from www.coe-romed.org. 139