UNA Westminster, the largest branch of the United Nations Association in the UK, is to contact the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights over its fears that the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) might lose its coveted Category A status as a National Human Rights Institution at the very time that the UK hopes to secure re-election to the UN Human Rights Council.
At its meeting ‘Is Equality Lite the new Human Rights standard?’ held in the House of Lords on 13 November 2012, experts shared deep concern over proposed government legislation on equality and human rights. Leading jurist Professor Sir Bob Hepple QC and Amanda Ariss of the Equality and Diversity Forum pointed to flaws in proposed changes to the Equality Act and threats to the UK Human Rights Act and the damaging impact on human rights bodies, especially the EHRC, due to large scale budget cuts. Their concerns were strongly endorsed by Sanchita Hosali, British Institute of Human Rights and Christopher Stanley, British Irish Rights Watch and by Lord Judd who chaired the meeting.
Click here for announcement on the Westminster UN Association website
Click here for report of meeting
