Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 64
64
International conventions, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against...
Recommendation
International conventions, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) impose long-established legal obligations on achieving equality domestically. The new equalities strategy and annual Action Plans should set out actions to be taken to meet the UK’s international equality commitments. Further, the Government should, as recommended by the UN and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, establish a National Mechanism for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up, to ensure the most effective possible engagement with international equality and human rights conventions and treaties. Consideration should also be given Levelling Up and equality: a new framework for change 25 to restructuring current processes, which are fragmented across several departments, and bringing oversight into a single international compliance team in the Equality Hub. A refreshed approach to stakeholder engagement and communications on sensitive issues
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
Reject. The Equality Hub works effectively and collaboratively with other Government departments, such as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to meet the UK’s international equality commitments and provide timely reporting to the various treaty committees. In the current format each department can provide their own policy expertise. Any monitoring mechanism would need to engage extensively with a wide range of departments to ensure that a comprehensive response is produced. The UK Government therefore already ensures adherence to our international obligations and that we meet the requirements of the treaty bodies.