Today, the Equal Rights Trust is pleased to announce the launch of a major new initiative to support equality defenders in their efforts to secure the adoption of comprehensive equality laws. Working in partnership with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Trust will develop Protecting Minority Rights: A Practical Guide on Developing Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation, due to be published in 2021.
In order to ensure that the Guide reflects the full range of global best practice, the Trust and the OHCHR seek input from experts and activists with experience in the development and adoption of comprehensive anti-discrimination laws. More information on the kinds of information which we seek and on how to submit inputs is available here.
Essential support to equality defenders
The development of the Guide responds directly to the ongoing demand from the Equal Rights Trust’s civil society partners and other equality defenders for practical guidance on the development of equality laws reflective of international standards on equality and non-discrimination. The Guide will play a central role in the delivery of our ambitious five year strategy, which focuses on supporting equality defenders in their efforts to secure the adoption and implementation of equality laws. It will build on the Trust’s experience of supporting advocacy for equality law reform in various countries over the last decade and contribute to our ongoing work to support civil society coalitions in countries ranging from Armenia, to Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines.
Developed in collaboration with experts from the OHCHR and guided by an international advisory committee, the Guide will reflect the growing international consensus on the requirement for states to adopt comprehensive equality laws in order to comply with their legal obligations to protect the right to non-discrimination and to realise their commitments to “leave no one behind” in development efforts. It will discuss the necessary structure, content and scope of comprehensive anti-discrimination law, if states are to comply with their obligations arising under the UN covenants and conventions. It will elaborate the requirement to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination law as a core element of the international law of the protection of minorities, including intersectional aspects in this regard.
In addition to consolidating current international standards, the publication will present relevant regional human rights standards and provide concrete country-based practices and practical guidance. The partners seek input from experts and activists with relevant knowledge and experience at both the regional and national levels.
For further information on how to contribute to this ambitious new project, please click here.
