The Mayor of London, 1990 Trust, National Assembly Against Racism,
Operation Black Vote and Black Londoners Forum are supporting measures
which will ensure equality in the proposed Equality Bill, which proposes
to end the Comission for Racial Equality. NAAR is encouraging all equality
groups, NGOs, anti-racist and human rights groups, trades unions, political
parties, community and faith groups to support it as the current proposal
could undermine the hard won and enormous strides towards a more equal
society. Sign our statement:
If you would like to support the statement, please email Comfort Labeodan comfort.labeodan@london.gov.uk with your name,
organisation, position, email, telephone and address.
Please get back before Friday 2nd December if possible.
The statement is as follows:
We are united in support for a society which values, upholds and delivers equality and human rights to all. We welcome specific equality measures contained in the government's Equality Bill but are concerned about weaknesses in the proposal for a Commission for Equality and Human Rights.
To fulfil the expectations of the diverse communities it will need to serve the CEHR will need to be rooted in the lived experience of inequality. With respect to disabled people this would be achieved in the statutory requirement, already in the Bill, to have a Disability Committee and a Commissioner who is a disabled person.
However, the Bill lacks such representative and inclusive provision for other equality communities. Specifically the Bill would abolish the CRE. Black and minority ethnic communities have expressed strong support for a statutory requirement for representation among Commissioners and for a Race Committee. We believe that equality principles must apply equally to all. Addressing these concerns is essential if the CEHR is to strengthen, rather than weaken, the fight for racial equality.
We are also concerned that the Commission retains a national base in London (in addition to strong regional representation) - which is home to nearly half of all Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups living in Britain.
For a full briefing on the CEHR proposal in the Equality Bill please click here