Equality and Human Rights Commission

1. Equality and Human Rights Commission

2. Good Relations.The Future Agenda Dr. Marc Verlot Foresight director EHRC

3. Overview • EHRC Mandate • Change is upon us • new legislation • New political context • What has the EHRC done? • Programmes • GRMF • How can EDF be involved?

4. EHRC’s mandate on Good Relations • ... to build mutual respect between groups based on understanding and valuing of diversity, and on shared respect for equality and human rights (EA 2006) • Promoting good relations and eliminating prejudice is one of core functions (Equality Act 2006) • Applies to all strands, though particular emphasis on race, religion and belief

5. EHRC’s mandate - 2 • Legislation gives us a role in: • Promoting understanding • Encouraging good practice • Eliminating prejudice, hatred and hostility • Enabling groups to participate in society • Section 10 of EA 2006 also makes clear that it is about members of groups – putting more emphasis on individuals than before.

6. Changed legislation • EA 2010 introduces a public duty in which it asks public bodies and those who exercise public functions to have due regard to “fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it” • Fostering can be interpreted as stronger than promoting • Consultation will be out on specific duties!

7. Changed legislation - 2 Examples form the explanatory note on the Act • The duty could lead a large government department, in its capacity as an employer, to provide staff with education and guidance, with the aim of fostering good relations between its transsexual staff and its non-transsexual staff. • The duty could lead a school to review its anti-bullying strategy to ensure that it addresses the issue of homophobic bullying, with the aim of fostering good relations, and in particular tackling prejudice against gay and lesbian people. • The duty could lead a local authority to introduce measures to facilitate understanding and conciliation between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims living in a particular area, with the aim of fostering good relations between people of different religious beliefs.

8. Changed political context • The Big Society instead of community cohesion? New UK Government is taking a different approach • Partnership from below instead of funding from above • Local will replace national

9. EHRC work Have done a number of things • Publishing research on roots of prejudice and how to tackle them • Looking into tensions between strands: religion and sexuality, religion and disability, gender and ethnicity • Implemented a range of activities around preventing bad relations

10. EHRC work - 2 • engaged in debate and policy on migration – looking what is influencing the numbers and what policy should be and how relevant public bodies like UKBA can meet their duties • developing activities among young people around generating better or good relations such as Project 1000 • we are funding some projects such as Show Racism the Red Card, drama groups on prejudices around disability • significant effort into accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers: a test bed area of good relations approaches

11. Good Relations MF • Published the conceptual framework – Icoco • Have developed long list into shortlist via consultations • Identified 4 domains and 20-22 indicators • Results published in August 2010

12. EDF involvement • Involve in public consultations on the PSED • Let us know of any good practice on GR • Let us know about the impact of changed policy on existing GR work

13. ‘Building a society built on fairness and respect where people are confident in all aspects of their diversity.’