A/HRC/29/24 D. Insufficient Roma participation 74. Most stakeholders consulted agree that the crucial issue of the political participation of Roma has been neglected by most policymakers and institutions across the regions. Despite numerous new programmes and the unprecedented achievements of Roma intellectuals, professionals and activists around the world, Roma remain largely underrepresented or unrepresented in local and national bodies, and remain peripheral in regional and international decision-making bodies, including in institutions explicitly established to protect and promote their rights. 75. Another concern expressed is the insufficient engagement of Roma communities in the design, delivery and monitoring of programmes and policies affecting them. Even in Europe, where efforts have been made to include Roma better, a recent evaluation showed that Roma participation is often reduced to consultations, and meaningful and effective participation remains a “distant objective”.59 76. The Special Rapporteur observes that there are often underlying attitudes that contribute to the lack of focus on empowerment of Roma communities and organizations. They can be outright discriminatory attitudes, such as when decision-making authorities adopt the paternalistic attitude that they are better equipped to make decisions on behalf of Roma. However, there are also more subtle forms of bias, including the tendency to focus on Roma as passive victims of discrimination, which may have the effect of perpetuating erroneous assumptions about their inability to contribute to society. This in turn hampers the shift from a perception of Roma as primarily passive victims of discrimination to an acknowledgment of their role as active agents of transformation who can participate in policy decisions that affect them. The Special Rapporteur notes that effective, meaningful participation must be a transformative process that becomes an inclusive experience, facilitating Roma involvement, empowerment and active citizenship. Such a participatory approach must also guarantee that those whose voices are rarely heard are empowered, including Roma women and young people. 77. Roma organizations at the local level are often institutionally weak and often have few human and technical resources. As a result, they may lack the capacity to advocate effectively on issues that are important to them or they may not be able to liaise effectively and cooperate with other Roma organizations. These factors affect organizations’ ability to find consistent, meaningful opportunities for engaging in policy design, implementation and monitoring. Efforts must be made to strengthen Roma rights organizations, not only through better funding and support, but also through scholarships and education initiatives to ensure that Roma young people are equipped with the necessary skills to become active advocates for their own communities. E. Need for improved access to complaint mechanisms 78. In order to better address the discrimination Roma face, including anti-Gypsyism, there is a need for complaint mechanisms of which Roma are aware, to which they have access and in which they have confidence. 79. While the Special Rapporteur acknowledges that article 13 of the Racial Equality Directive requires European Union member States to establish a body responsible for the promotion of equal treatment, she regrets that research indicates that knowledge about and 59 18 See www.romadecade.org/cms/upload/file/9765_file1_decade-intelligence-report.pdf, p. 6.