The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published a new general policy recommendation for national equality bodies to combat discrimination and intolerance.
The new General Policy Recommendation of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) draws on existing good practices and focuses on the key elements for the establishment and effective functioning of equality bodies. According to ECRI equality bodies should be established by constitutional provision or parliamentary legislation, be set up as a separate legal entity outside the executive and legislature, and work without interference from the State or political parties.
Equality bodies should have two key functions:
Equality bodies can have an additional function of deciding on complaints of discrimination by taking legally binding decisions to impose sanctions, or by making non-binding recommendations.
ECRI’s Chair Jean-Paul Lehners underlined: “People exposed to discrimination and intolerance often have neither the capacity nor the resources to enforce their rights. Equality bodies, therefore, have an important role in helping them to solve their problems.”
Welcoming the recommendation Equinet Chair Tena Šimonović Einwalter stated:"Equality bodies play an essential role in advancing equality and combating discrimination and intolerance. The ECRI General Policy Recommendation on the establishment and functioning of equality bodies recognises the importance of their work and offers clear guidance on how Council of Europe Member States can strengthen equality bodies to achieve equality and social cohesion. Equinet supports this call for independent and effective equality bodies with the powers and resources to ensure that our rights to equality are applied on the ground and made accessible to all".
For further information about the work of ECRI and its previous general policy recommendations please click here. Further information about the work of Equinet is available on their website.