Roma are the largest minority group in Europe and are the major poverty risk group in Central and Eastern Europe. Poverty rates from recent World Bank poverty studies are striking. In Bulgaria, Roma were found to be ten times more likely to be poor than ethnic Bulgarians. Roma also comprise an increasing share of the population in ECA countries, because of higher birth rates. These dynamics have gained international attention, and the European Union accession process, in particular, has focused attention on the issue. Governments and international institutions have been eager to support...

The situation of the Roma (or gypsies) in Central and Eastern Europe is one of the most challenging issues to emerge during the transition from socialism. As the socialist regimes collapsed and a free market economy was introduced, economic opportunities increased. However, job security and housing deteriorated. While political participation throughout the population surged, so did ethnic tension, which put the Roma, an already threatened minority, at even greater risk. Since they have always been mobile, the Romas do not constitute a large number in any one country, but as the Iron Curtain...

In many low and middle income countries, dismal failures in the quality of public service delivery such as absenteeism among teachers and doctors and leakages of public funds have driven the agenda for better governance and accountability. This has raised interest in the idea that citizens can contribute to improved quality of service delivery by holding policy-makers and providers of services accountable. This proposition is particularly resonant when it comes to the human development sectors - health, education and social protection - which involve close interactions between providers and...