A/HRC/29/24 D. Pillar 4: the right to effective participation 58. The European Union has recognized that participation of Roma individuals and communities cannot be reduced to occasional discussions, but must promote the empowerment and active involvement of Roma, including through supporting Roma NGOs to be effective.52 The 2015 European Platform for Roma Inclusion provided an opportunity for participatory, interactive, operational-level discussions among all stakeholders, including Roma individuals and grassroots organizations. 59. Portugal has established the Project for Municipal Roma Mediators, providing intercultural training to 15 Roma mediators which led to their inclusion in 18 local municipalities. The objective was to provide Roma inclusion-related services, guaranteeing the establishment of close links between local services, organizations and local Roma communities.53 60. In Brazil in 2015, the Commission on Minorities and Human Rights of the Congress held a public hearing to discuss policies aimed at protecting the rights of the Roma ethnic minority in Brazil. In addition, the Secretariat for the Promotion of Social Equality recently organized a National Week on Roma. The initiative, which gathered over 300 Roma from different regions, members of civil society organizations and government representatives, facilitated discussions about challenges in relation to Roma access to health care, housing, education, social and culture programmes. The programme adopted a set of recommendations and launched a guide on public policies aimed at raising awareness of Roma rights in Brazil. 61. The Government of Colombia consulted with Roma communities in the context of drafting national development plans for the period 2014 to 2018 and committed to implementing strategies to increase Roma visibility, improve their quality of life and provide for improved access to their social, economic and cultural and political rights. In Argentina, a local Roma NGO has been successful in initiating dialogues between civil society and the State, which has proved to be key in promoting the visibility of Roma culture.54 62. In Bulgaria, under the “Thank you, Mayor!” campaign, a grass-roots organization invested in capacity-building initiatives for local Roma advocacy groups. The campaign mobilized local activists and stakeholders, empowering them to develop and implement, in partnership with local administrations, successful Roma inclusion strategies in 12 municipalities. The project demonstrates how inclusive dialogue between Roma communities and local municipalities and a bottom-up approach can produce concrete commitments from local administrations. V. Challenges in the field of policy and programming on Roma rights: lessons learned 63. Despite a number of good initiatives that seek to address Roma disadvantage, Roma communities worldwide still face situations of extreme poverty and marginalization across a wide range of human rights indicators. In Europe, Roma still experience heightened levels of disadvantage and marginalization.55 Outside Europe, the Special Rapporteur regrets that 52 53 54 55 See http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/cc3089_en.pdf, para. 41. Response from Portugal to the questionnaire. Response from Argentina to the questionnaire. A 2014 European Union report found that “there has not been much effective progress in any of the 15