The Equality & Human Rights Commission Draft Strategy Consultation

The Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent statutory body, meaning it has powers under the law (in this case, the Equality Act 2006) to carry out a specific task. The EHRC's task is to "encourage equality and diversity, eliminate unlawful discrimination, and protect and promote the human rights of everyone in Britain." 

The EHRC is also part of the United Nations' Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), meaning it is responsible for "promoting and monitoring the effective implementation of international human rights standards at a national level."

In July 2024, EHRC published its draft strategy for 2025 - 2028. This set out the key areas it plans to focus on over those three years, including work; participation and good relations; and justice and the balance of rights.

EHRC opened up a consultation, asking for opinions on its draft strategy. BIHR responded to the consultation, highlighting four key points.

We also said EHRC should continue its aim to ensure children have equal access to support and resources. In particular, we encouraged the EHRC to support and enable Human Rights Act training and resources for school and local authority staff.

We said EHRC should champion an accurate understanding of the Human Rights Act and the universality of human rights. In particular, we encourage the EHRC to promote better understanding of Section 3 of the Human Rights Act and the role of the European Convention on Human Rights and its Court in the UK amongst parliamentarians and decision-makers.