Collective Rights and the Cultural Identity of the Roma: A Case Study of Italy

Is the use of mechanisms that only focus on the protection of individual human rights sufficient to protect the cultural identity of minorities? Much more can be achieved by adopting a system that applies the principles of equality and non-discrimination, and encompasses the recognition of a collective right to cultural identity. Culture and cultural identity are indeed important for the identification of groups and ethnicity. But are the Roma an ethnic group? Are they a minority? In answering these questions, Italy is used as a case study to illustrate the limits of non-discrimination provisions and the need to recognise the collective right to cultural identity.