A/HRC/31/CRP.2 I. Introduction 1. On 25 September 2015, at the conclusion of her country visit to Brazil (A/HRC/31/56/Add.1), the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák, in the exercise of her mandate “to examine ways and means of overcoming existing obstacles to the full and effective realization of the rights of persons belonging to minorities” (A/HRC/RES/25/5), convened a one-day regional workshop in Brasilia on the situation of Roma in the Americas. 2. The workshop was conceptualized as a follow-up to the Special Rapporteur’s 2015 “Comprehensive study of the human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism” (A/HRC/29/24), which was presented to the Human Rights Council at its 29th session in June 2015. The report drew on the responses of States and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to the Special Rapporteur’s questionnaire, which was developed in consultation with numerous international and regional organizations, non-governmental and grassroots organizations, and Roma rights experts.1 In the report, the Special Rapporteur provided an overview of the situation facing Roma worldwide, and highlighted the positive developments and challenges linked to promoting and protecting the human rights of Roma. 3. One key recommendation of the report was that more attention should be paid to the specific challenges faced by Roma living outside Europe. The Special Rapporteur concluded that the invisibility of Roma outside Europe remains a challenge, and that more should be done to highlight their situation and raise their profile with policymakers, while also helping to empower the communities. 4. In this regard, and taking as a point of departure the research from her global study on Roma, in particular the conclusions and recommendations, the Special Rapporteur decided to organize a workshop to enhance understanding of the specific human rights challenges facing Roma communities across the Americas. 5. The workshop was attended by representatives of Roma communities from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 2 It was divided into distinct sessions to enable participants to provide individual updates on the situation of Roma in each country. The Special Rapporteur then provided a brief overview of the role of international human rights mechanisms. This was followed by a session with the Director of Programmes at the Department of Traditional Communities in the Brazilian Government’s Secretariat on Racial Equality (SEPPIR), the department responsible for Roma affairs. In a concluding session all the participants discussed the synergies identified in the challenges they face and possible advocacy strategies. 6. The goals of the workshop were: to provide a platform for Roma rights activists and advocates to interact with the relevant national and international human rights mechanisms and with each other; to provide an opportunity for participants to share experiences and discuss the common challenges facing Roma communities in the region, as well as possible solutions by creating plans for joint advocacy or synergies in advocacy; and to raise awareness of existing United Nations human and minority rights mechanisms relevant to 1 2 The Questionnaire issued by the Special Rapporteur to States and NHRIs, and the responses received are available from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Minorities/SRMinorities/Pages/ContributionsProtectionRoma.asp Regrettably, the Special Rapporteur was unable to secure the attendance of representatives of Roma communities from other countries in the region. This is in no way a reflection of the challenges faced by Roma communities in those countries. 3