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Achieving a Roma-Inclusive Recovery in Romania

March 1, 2021

Zoom

MULTIMEDIA

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The COVID-19 pandemic has increased pre-existing social inclusion gaps and disproportionately impacted vulnerable and marginalized population groups in many countries around the world, including Romania. Poverty has increased for the first time in five years in Romania, with marginalized communities and vulnerable population groups, in particular the Roma, most affected.

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  • As part of its largest stimulus package ever financed through the European Union (EU) budget, and targeted at rebuilding a post-Covid Europe, Romania will receive EUR 30.4 million through the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Romanian Government is currently in the process of updating its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) with a view to restarting Romania’s economic growth, while addressing the vulnerabilities that have been created or deepened by the crisis.

    The World Bank has been an active partner with the Romanian Government in closing human and social development gaps and fostering equal opportunities for all Romanians. The Bank has moreover been actively supporting the Government’s response to the pandemic.

    A recovery from the pandemic provides Romania with a unique opportunity to remove structural barriers to the socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable population groups. As such, the World Bank Romania Country Office is organizing a virtual roundtable to discuss strategic priorities and opportunities that will ensure Romania’s recovery is contributing to improved inclusion outcomes and the socio-economic resilience of vulnerable communities to future shocks.

    The event brings together government representatives, international development partners and civil society stakeholders to explore concrete directions for targeted policies and investments to improve socio-economic cohesion, and promote equal opportunities and shared prosperity.

    Referencing the findings of a recent World Bank assessment of the impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable population groups and marginalized communities, the roundtable will:

    • Review the needs and priorities of vulnerable population groups in Romania in connection with the economic crisis due to COVID-19; and
    • Share ideas about how best to integrate opportunities for high-impact social and economic support for vulnerable population groups in Romania’s NRRP, while capitalizing on the new EU Funds programming period.

  • 10:00 – 10:05

    Welcome & Brief overview of aims of the meeting and introductions

    Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Country Manager for Romania and Hungary

    Ciprian Necula, Secretariat of Roma Sounding Board, Moderator

     

    10:05-10:30

     

    Opening remarks by

    Dragoș Pîslaru, MEP, European Parliament, Renew Group

    Corina Atanasiu, Secretary of State, Ministry of Investments and European Projects

    Andrew Noble, HM Ambassador to Romania, British Embassy Bucharest

    Daniel Rădulescu, President, National Agency for Roma

     

    10:30-10:40

    Presentation of World Bank research “Social impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania”

    Valerie Morrica, Senior Social Development Specialist, World Bank

    Reena Badiani-Magnusson, Senior Economist, World Bank

     

    10:40-11:20

    How can we leverage the NRRP to address vulnerabilities and increase the resilience of marginalized population groups to future shocks?

    Interventions by a select number of national state administration representatives   

    ·       Outreach to and mobilization of CSOs;

    • Cooperation and networking among CSOs & State – CSO interface & other potential opportunities

     

    Kick-off interventions by:

    Jeroen Jutte, Head of Unit for Bulgaria and Romania, DG Employment, European Commission

    Elena Dobre, Director, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection

    Claudia Lixandru, Director for Romania, Roma Education Fund (REF)

    Petrică Dulgheru, Executive Director, Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI)

     

     

    11:20-11:50

     

    Localized approaches to addressing infrastructure and services gaps uncovered by the crisis

    How do we empower local communities and provide adequate resources for them to address critical gaps in basic infrastructure and social service priorities?

     

    Kick-off interventions by:

    Constantin Toma, Mayor of Buzău, Romania

    Steluța Jalia, Public Manager, Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration

    Florin Moisa, President, Resource Center for Roma Communities

    Alexandra Gheorghe, Member of the Roma community from Zărnești, Romania

     

    11:50-12:00

    Conclusions and take-aways for follow-up actions

    The outcome will be a set of recommendations on priorities to ensure an inclusive socio-economic recovery that makes marginalized communities more resilient to future shocks

    Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Country Manager for Romania and Hungary

  • Tatiana Proskuryakova

    World Bank Country Manager for Romania and Hungary

    Tatiana Proskuryakova has worked as the World Bank Country Manager for Romania and Hungary since July 2017. She joined the World Bank in 1992 and throughout her career has held various positions both in headquarters and in field offices in Europe and Central Asia Region, and in Latin America and the Caribbean Region, including as Country Manager for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro; Country Manager for North Macedonia; and Country Operations Adviser for Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Tatiana Proskuryakova holds an M.Sc. in Economics/Political Economy from the Moscow State University, Russia, and an M. Phil. in Economics from the University of Oxford, UK.

    Ciprian Necula

    Secretariat of Roma Sounding Board

    Ciprian Necula is a Roma human rights activist, former State Secretary in the Ministry of EU Funds, journalist, political analyst, co-founder of a social enterprise and leader of a Roma NGO. Having had carried out many social-economic projects throughout his life, he is also the initiator of the Roma Culture Museum in Bucharest, Romania and a member of the Scientific Council of the European Academic Network on Romani Studies. Ciprian Necula holds a Ph.D. in sociology and currently acts as the Secretary of the World Bank’s Initiative Roma Sounding Board.

    Dragoș Pîslaru

    MEP, European Parliament, Renew Group

    Dragoș Pîslaru is a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) as part of the liberal, pro-European political group, Renew Europe (Renew). In his role as MEP, his activities are targeted at supporting the fight against poverty, advancing social inclusion, and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and for the creation of jobs in rural areas. Prior to this, he acted as State Counsellor, and Minister of Labour and Social Protection. He is also a former entrepreneur with a vast experience in management consulting and professor of economics with the Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest, Romania. Dragoș Pîslaru holds a Ph.D. in Economics.

    Corina Atanasiu

    Secretary of State, Ministry of Investments and European Projects

    Corina Atanasiu has been appointed Secretary of State within the Ministry of Investments and European Projects in January 2021. Prior to this, she has acted as Executive Director of the Center for analysis and socio-economic innovation (CAIES) for over six years. Corina Atanasiu has extended work experience in consultancy on technical assistance projects centered around funding instruments of the European Commission in Romania and Turkey and carried out in collaboration with various governmental institutions, including the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forrest; and the Regional Development Agency South Muntenia (Romania).

    Andrew Noble

    HM Ambassador to Romania, British Embassy Bucharest

    Andrew James Noble LVO is a British diplomat who is currently acting as the British Ambassador to Romania. He previously served as the British Ambassador to Algeria. Noble joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1982. From 1983 to 1986 he served as the third and later second political secretary in Bucharest. He subsequently acted as the Deputy Head of the political section in Cape Town/Pretoria, South Africa, and as Deputy Head of missions in Berlin, Germany and Athens, Greece.

    Daniel Rădulescu

    President, National Agency for Roma

    Daniel Rădulescu is a sociologist appointed President of the National Agency for Roma of Romania and Secretary of State in 2017. He is the founder of the SASTIPEN NGO fighting for Roma inclusion, particularly on the labour market, and promoting equal access to health and education infrastructures for poor Roma communities. Since 2010, Daniel Rădulescu has been active in the elaboration of a new concept of integrated approach concerning social problems that vulnerable groups face.

    Valerie Morrica

    Senior Social Development Specialist, World Bank

    Valerie Morrica is a Senior Social Development Specialist in the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia Region. Her work focuses on social inclusion, social cohesion, and community driven development. -In her work she focuses in particular on the Roma agenda, women’s economic empowerment and youth inclusion through analytical work and operations. –Valerie has also worked for more than a decade on developing and coordinating operational partnerships between the World Bank and the European Union. Prior to joining the Bank, Valerie worked at the European Parliament, the Bertelsmann Foundation and at the University of Tuebingen. She holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science and International Economics from the Eberhard Karls Universitaet in Tuebingen and a Master’s Degree in European Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis.

    Reena Badiani-Magnusson

    Senior Economist, World Bank

    Reena Badiani-Magnusson is a Senior Economist at the World Bank. She has worked on social protection, human development and poverty issues over the past 9 years at the World Bank in several countries across Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific and Africa. Reena holds a PhD from the Department of Economics at Yale University. She additionally holds a Master’s in Environmental Economics from the MPSE in Toulouse University.

    Jeroen Jutte

    Head of Unit for Bulgaria and Romania, DG Employment, European Commission

    Jeroen Jutte is the head of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) for Romania and Bulgaria since March 2020. Prior to this, he has held various other positions at the European Commission since joining it in 1998, including head of Unit A1 "Employment and Social Aspects of the European Semester", as well as coordination roles such as of the European Social Fund and the DG Regional Policy - Cohesion Policy. Jeroen Jutte has a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and is an alumni of the INSEAD Leadership Transition Executive Training Programme.

    Claudia Lixandru

    Director for Romania, Roma Education Fund (REF)

    Claudia Lixandru is the National Director for Romania at the Roma Education Fund. With extensive experience in both corporate and non-governmental sectors, she has held various management position throughout her career. Prior to this appointment, Claudia Lixandru served as Financial Manager for the Resource Center for Ethnocultural Diversity, part of the Soros Open Network, as Project Manager at Combridge, a private company member of Deutsche Telekom Group, and as Business Development Director for the Lochner Group. Claudia Lixandru has a Master's Degree in Sales Management from the University of San Francisco and an Associate Coach certification from the International Association of Coaching Institutes.

    Petrică Dulgheru

    Executive Director, Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI)

    Petrică Dulgheru is the initiator and Executive Director of the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI). A chemist by training, Petrica has extensive experience in the academic and private sectors. The experience in the private sector enabled him to successfully set-up and launch several start-ups in the area of social entrepreneurship supporting excluded people to return to the labour market. Before this, he worked for the University College Dublin, European Commission, the Free University of Brussels and the private company BOSAL Emissions Control Systems. He has also served on the advisory board of the Roma Initiatives Office, part of the Open Society Foundation. Petrică Dulgheru has an EMBA from the Central European University and a certificate in Executive Management from INSEAD. Petrică is Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry and chemical biology having graduated the University College Dublin.

    Constantin Toma

    Mayor of Buzău, Romania

    Constantin Toma has been serving as the Mayor of Buzău since 2016. Currently in his second mandate, he was re-elected in 2020 with the highest percentage obtained by a mayor in a county seat city in Romania. Since his re-election, he also acts at the Executive President of the Association of Romanian Municipalities. Engineer by education and a former entrepreneur, Constantin Toma graduated the Faculty of Mechanics, Department of Machine Building Technology of the University of Galați and has founded and managed companies in the water industry and in the filed of metal processing prior to entering the public administration.

    Steluța Jalia

    Public Manager, Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration

    Steluța JALIA has joined the Managing Authority for the Regional Operational Program (AMPOR) in 2007 and has been contributed extensively ever since to the elaboration of programmatic documents under the Regional Operational Programmes 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 targeted at social infrastructure and inclusion. Her work is currently focusing on the national coordination of operational programs at the regional level for the 2021-2027 programming period of the European Commission. In this capacity, Steluța Jalia is also the coordinator of the working groups on health and education issues on behalf the MDLPA and that are unfolding under the NRRP.

    Florin Moisa

    President, Resource Center for Roma Communities

    Florin Moisa is the Executive President of the Resource Center for Roma Communities. With an extended portfolio of activities in supporting Roma inclusion and fighting discrimination, he has served as ROMACT National Program Officer in Romania for the Council of Europe and has held various consultancy roles in related policy programs as part of private companies in Greece, Austria and Washington D.C. Florin Moisa started his career in 1994 in academia as teaching assistant at the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Romania. He has a Ph.D in sociology and an MBA from the same university.

    Elena Dobre

    Director, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection

    Elena Dobre has been serving as the Director of Social Services and Policy Department under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection since 2011. She entered the central public administration 21 years ago and, throughout this time, has held various management and coordination positions. Through her work, Elena Dobre has focused extensively on tools to modernize the social assistance system, on encouraging social innovation and social economy activities, as well as on drafting or contributing to pieces of legislation and strategies in the field of social inclusion and active aging. She has written and implemented various projects financed through European and national funding in the field of social assistance in view of increasing the quality of life of vulnerable groups. Elena Dobre has mentored many students participating in the government’s internship program.

Details

  • Date: Monday, March 1, 2021
  • Time: 17:00 to 19:00 (GMT+2)

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