Amdanom ni - Cymraeg
How we live together is one of the big challenges of the twenty-first century: as serious as climate change and more immediate.
A milestone along the road to a fairer, more equal Britain, the new Equality and Human Rights Commission opened on 1 October 2007.
The new commission is working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.
The previous commissions – the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, and the Disability Rights Commission – have made enormous advances, changing Britain into a fairer place. But much remains to be done.
The new commission is building on their legacy to achieve change to benefit some of the most disadvantaged and voiceless people in our society.
The new commission brings together the work of the three previous equality commissions and also takes on responsibility for the other aspects of equality: age, sexual orientation and religion or belief, as well as human rights.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission acts not only for the disadvantaged, but for everyone in society, and can use its new enforcement powers where necessary to guarantee people’s equality. It also has a mandate to promote understanding of the Human Rights Act.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) established under the Equality Act 2006 – accountable for its public funds, but independent of government.