Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR)
Introduction to the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) (formally CRE)
Purpose of the CEHR
The new Commission will be a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and independent influential champion whose purpose is to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people and protect human rights. The CEHR will take an active role in helping to achieve change to benefit some of the most vulnerable and least well represented people in our society.
The CEHR and Existing Commissions
The CEHR will bring together the work of the three existing Commissions, the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in this new body.
Gypsy and Traveller Strategy 2004 - 2007
The strategy sets out:
*how the CRE will use their statutory powers under the Race Relations Act to help eliminate the long-standing disadvantage and discrimination experienced by Gypsies and Travellers in Britain, make sure they receive equal opportunities and fair treatment, and promote good relations between Gypsies and Travellers and other groups;
*the outcomes the CRE hope to see in racial equality for Gypsies and Travellers, and in better relations between them and other communities; and
*the action the CRE will take over the next three years to realise these outcomes.
The CRE consulted widely on the strategy, holding meetings in Perth, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham and London. The CRE also sent cassette summaries of the strategy to Gypsies, Travellers and their support groups, and invited telephone and written responses.
Click here to read the Strategy on the CRE’s website.
- Introduction
- Role, mission and priorities
- Scope of the strategy
- EU enlargement
- Previous CRE activity
- The context
- Outcomes
- Opportunities for progess
- What the CRE will do
- Bibliography
Common Ground: Equality, good race relations and sites for Gypsies and Irish Travellers, 2006
Relations between Gypsies and Irish Travellers and other members of the public are a particular cause for concern, with people from these groups often leading separate, parallel lives. Gypsies and Irish Travellers have the poorest life chances of any ethnic group in Britain today, with health and education outcomes well below the national average. It was this dual concern for poor race relations and inequality that led the CRE to launch this inquiry in October 2004, to examine local authorities’ arrangements for planning, providing and managing sites in the context of their statutory duty to promote race equality and good race relations.
The issues analysed and addressed in this investigation are central to the CRE’s twin mandates of equality and social cohesion. The CRE’s vision is of an integrated society in which all members of the public have equality of opportunity; can participate fully in all aspects of society; engage positively with one another; and have a shared sense of what it means to be a member of their local community, with the rights and the responsibilities that this entails.
The inquiry report is based on survey responses from 236 local authorities across England and Wales; nine case study authorities and more than 400 responses to a public call for evidence. It provides the first authoritative evidence of how far local authorities are meeting their statutory duty to promote race equality and good race relations in their work on Gypsy sites. It also explores the role of the police in relation to the policing of authorised and unauthorised sites.
Local Authority Main Recommendations:
* Local authorities need to provide strong local leadership regarding Gypsy sites, and allocate responsibility at a senior officer level.
* Strategic and long-term approaches to enforcement and site provision should be developed as part of overall strategy on housing, linked to health, education and an overarching communications strategy.
* They should work proactively to promote good community relations and build integrated communities, and actively tackle mutual misunderstandings and stereotypes.
* Other local, regional and national bodies need to provide support and encouragement to help local authorities take this work forward.
The report, and an audio summary of the report is available on line to download free from the CRE website http://www.cre.gov.uk/GTinquiry.
The report summary: http://www.cre.gov.uk/downloads/commonground_summary.pdf
The full report: http://www.cre.gov.uk/downloads/commonground_report.pdf
Hard copies of the report can be ordered from TSO at a cost of £10:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7242 6393 or +44 (0)20 7242 6410
Fax: +44 (0)20 7242 6394
Email: london.bookshop@tso.co.uk
ISBN = 1 85442 5927
The audio version of the CD will be available on request from Claire Thieulin cthieulin@cre.gov.uk
Scotland’s Gypsies/Travellers: A resource for the media
This new booklet contains information about the key issues that affect Gypsies/Travellers, advice about terminology and how to deal with issues of concern.
It is intended primarily for journalists but may also be of interest to others.
The CRE produced this booklet because we want to promote accurate and balanced Scottish media-reporting of Gypsy/Traveller issues that doesn’t contain inaccuracies. While many journalists have a legitimate interest in this area (as do many members of the public) they may have had little experience and exposure, not only to the issues but to Gypsies/Travellers themselves. The CRE hope that this booklet will go someway to addressing this.
The CRE’s aim is to encourage more balanced media reporting which can help to foster understanding between and within communities and encourage action to address the issues that impact on both Gypsies/Travellers and the settled community.
You can download this booklet as an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file here
convert this post to pdf.
