Equality Act 2006

Commission for Equality and Human Rights
Equality is not a minority concern - it matters to every one of us. At some point in our lives, all of us face barriers that may prevent us fulfilling our potential, or participating fully in society.

Recognising that isolation, misunderstanding, fear, intimidation and segregation can be crucial elements of inequality or unjust treatment, the commission's brief extends beyond tackling discrimination, to demonstrating and sharing best practice and promoting equality and human rights principles in public and private bodies. Using these principles, it will also seek to address tensions and promote good relations between individuals and between and within groups in their local communities.

The fundamental objective of the commission, as summarised in section 3 of the Equality Act 2006, is to support the development of a society where:

people's ability to achieve their potential is not limited by prejudice or discrimination;
there is respect for and protection of each individual's human rights;
there is respect for the dignity and worth of every individual;
every individual has an equal opportunity to participate in society; and
there is mutual respect between groups based on understanding and valuing diversity and on shared respect for equality and human rights.

The Equality Bill received Royal Assent on the 16th February 2006 and, by autumn 2006, we plan that the new CEHR Board will be appointed. The New CEHR Board will then decide on options for strategic direction, organisational design and key policy issues.

Equality Act 2006
The new commission will be an 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.

Throughout the whole process of setting up the CEHR the voice of equality and human rights' stakeholders, businesses and trade unions has been vital.

A stakeholder task force helped to develop the detailed proposals for the commission set out in the white paper; and now a transition steering group is in place, including all major stakeholders. The steering group (in conjunction with a specialist transition team) is advising government on options for the organisational structure and infrastructure of the CEHR, strategic direction for its work and the deployment of its workforce.

Setting up a new commission with a powerful vision to deliver, and working in new ways, with enhanced powers and duties to exercise, is an ambitious project and will not be easy. But we have to move fast.

The act establishes the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) that will come into being in 2007. The CEHR will bring together the DRC and the EOC from October 2007 when it will promote equality and tackle discrimination in relation to sexual orientation, age, and religion or belief - areas that are not covered by the existing commissions. The CRE will join by the end of March 2009, putting expertise on equality, diversity and human rights all in one place.

The commission will cover England, Scotland and Wales. In Scotland and Wales there will be statutory committees responsible for the work of the CEHR.