ðə dˈeɪ wʌz əfˈɪʃəli dᵻklˈɛɹd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ɪn sˈɛɹɑːk, pˈoʊlənd, ðə sˈaɪt ʌvðə fˈoːɹθ wˈɜːld ɹoʊmˈɑːni kˈɑːŋɡɹəs ʌvðɪ ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl ɹoʊmˈɑːni jˈuːniən ˌaɪˌɑːɹjˈuː, ɪn ˈɑːnɚɹ ʌvðə fˈɜːst mˈeɪdʒɚɹ ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl mˈiːɾɪŋ ʌv ɹoʊmˈɑːni ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntətˌɪvz, sˈɛvən twˈɛlv ˈeɪpɹəl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti wˈʌn ɪn tʃˈɛlsfiːld nˌɪɹ lˈʌndən.
The day was officially declared in 1990 in Serock, Poland, the site of the fourth World Romani Congress of the International Romani Union (IRU), in honour of the first major international meeting of Romani representatives, 7–12 April 1971 in Chelsfield near London.