London, Friday, 10 December 2010

Today is International Human Rights Day. The rights to equality and non-discrimination are central to the human rights system, and their protection has a positive impact on all other human rights. Consequently, today’s appeal by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to everyone to stand by human rights defenders who act to end discrimination is most welcome.

The work of human rights defenders most often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. These are individuals at the very forefront of human rights protection, who put their security and wellbeing at risk on a daily basis, in order to fight for the rights of vulnerable, excluded and discriminated against individuals and communities.

London, 22 February 2010 

Today, The Equal Rights Trust published Volume Four of The Equal Rights Review (ERR), an interdisciplinary biannual journal intended as a forum for the exchange of legal, philosophical, sociological and other ideas and practical insights for those who are promoting equality. This volume also contains a special section on the issue of sexual orientation.

The volume is available in print as well as online. 

To read The Equal Rights Review, Volume Four (2009), please click here.

Contents of Volume Four (2009):
 
Editorial

On 10 December - international Human Rights Day - The Equal Rights Trust (ERT) invites new endorsements of the Declaration of Principles on Equality, a set of key principles drafted and signed by 128 leading experts and launched by ERT in October 2008. With this renewed appeal, ERT responds to the initiative of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights to declare discrimination as the theme of Human Rights Day 2009.

Stating that complacency is discrimination’s best friend, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, speaking ahead of Human Rights Day, called on individuals worldwide to make an extra effort to tackle discrimination, starting from their own homes and workplaces.

The Equal Rights Trust is pleased to announce the publication of Religion and Healthcare in the European Union: Policy Issues and Trends, a policy research report commissioned by the Network of European Foundations, in the framework of its ‘Religion and Democracy in Europe’ initiative. The report presents an analytical discussion of health policy issues on which religion has an impact.

London, 10 July 2009 

Today, The Equal Rights Trust published Volume Three of The Equal Rights Review (ERR), an interdisciplinary biannual journal intended as a forum for the exchange of legal, philosophical, sociological and other ideas and practical insights for those who are promoting equality. This volume also contains a special section on the issue of Stateless persons in detention.
 
The volume is available in print as well as online.

To read The Equal Rights Review, Volume Three, please click here.

Contents of Volume Three (2009): Editorial

The Equal Rights Trust – the only international human rights organisation focussed solely on the right to equality – has marked the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots by calling on LGBT rights advocates to endorse the unified concept of equality, as expressed in the Declaration of Principles on Equality. Speaking on the eve of the anniversary, Dimitrina Petrova, Executive Director of ERT, said that in countries where LGBT people suffer institutional discrimination, reliance on the integrated concept of equality could point a way forward.

Dr Dimitrina Petrova said:

“40 years after the Stonewall riots, LGBT people in many parts of the world remain subject to discrimination and violence; according to ILGA, homosexuality is a criminal offence in 80 countries.

Today, on the inaugural World Day of Social Justice, The Equal Rights Trust (ERT) wrote to Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, welcoming the event as an important step to raise awareness on social inequality, poverty and the widening gap between the most and the least advantaged globally. In the letter ERT appealed to the Secretary-General to promote the Declaration of Principles on Equality and to recommend it to relevant UN organisations and agencies.