At the 9th ISC Meeting in late 2006, it was agreed that a "Technical Support Unit" for the Decade—the unit is now known as the Decade Secretariat—would be established in Budapest, Hungary. The creation of this unit was supported by the Open Society Foundations, which founded the Secretariat on behalf of the International Steering Committee.
The Secretariat, which began operating in early 2008, serves as the main facilitation body of the Decade.
The Decade Secretariat:
- Supports the Decade Presidency in the organization ISC meetings and sectoral workshops;
- Ensures coordination among the main Decade stakeholders, including governments, international organizations and civil society;
- Cooperates with governments that wish to join the Decade and provide support for their accession;
- Assists in developing and updating national Decade Action Plans, and facilitates, on request, provision of expert advice and support in the Decade priority areas: education, health, housing and employment;
- Coordinates and shares information with the European Commission and other international bodies;
- Builds a knowledge management system based on national and international experiences, and compiles annual reports about Decade activities;
- Ensures the flow of information among participating countries; and
- Designs and implements communication strategies, linked with other significant initiatives, with the goal of promoting Decade achievements and attracting political and financial support.
The Decade Secretariat has two staff members: a Facilitator and a Program Manager. In addition, seconded staff and consultants may be hired subject to the needs of the Secretariat.
The Decade Secretariat is a private foundation registered in Hungary as the Decade of Roma Inclusion Secretariat Foundation. The governing body of the Foundation is a five-member Board of Trustees consisting of representatives from the past and current Decade Presidency countries, the Open Society Institute and the World Bank. The Facilitator acts as secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Seed funds for the first year of the Decade Secretariat's operations—amounting to USD 200,000—were provided by the Open Society Institute. While OSI has expressed its long-term support for the Secretariat, further financial support is also expected from other Decade stakeholders.
► Please note that the Decade of Roma Inclusion Secretariat Foundation is not a funding organization. It does not organize or administer the grants, scholarships and other funding programs advertised in the Funding and News sections of this site. If you have questions about those programs or wish to apply, please use the contact information provided in the announcements.
Decade of Roma Inclusion Secretariat Foundation
Teréz krt. 46
H-1066 Budapest
Hungary
Tel: +36-1-411-1325
Fax: +36-1-411-1326
Tunde Buzetzky
Decade Facilitator
E-mail: tbuzetzky@decadesecretariat.org
Adem Ademi
Program Coordinator
E-mail: aademi@decadesecretariat.org