Equality and non-discrimination are deeply embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This Sustainable Development policy framework pursues a dual approach to equality, through:
- targeting people that experience inequality in goals to achieve gender equality (SDG 5); and reduce inequalities (SDG 10), and
- mainstreaming an equality perspective in goals on: poverty elimination (SDG 1); healthy lives (SDG 3); inclusive education (SDG 4); full employment (SDG 8); safe, resilient and sustainable settlements (SDG 11); access to justice (SDG 16); and equality data (SDG 17).
Sustainable development cannot be achieved, therefore, without wider and deeper commitment by governments to promoting equality domestically as well as globally.
Recognition and support is required, at international, European and national levels, for the role of National Equality Bodies in progressing the 2030 Agenda and equality bodies need to be recognised as playing a range of roles in implementing and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Equality bodies should be enabled and supported to take up such roles and to do so in a way that respects their independence and reflects their national architecture for equality actors.
The mandate of equality bodies, to combat discrimination and promote equality, places them in a key position to contribute to successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. They do so through their core activities including:
- enforcement of equal treatment legislation;
- legal support to those experiencing discrimination;
- research on equality, diversity and discrimination;
- communication on equality issues; policy advice and recommendations on equality issues;
- equality data collection; and
- support for good practice to employers, service providers, and policy makers.
Equality Bodies should be enabled and fully supported, where they consider it appropriate to do so, to bring their experience and expertise to bear on national and international planning for and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs through:
- Meaningful participation in stakeholder dialogue structures and processes, for planning, coordinating, and reviewing implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs,
- Contributing to action planning for their implementation, including both targeted actions for equality and mainstream actions with an equality dimension,
- Providing policy advice on the equality dimension to the relevant authorities responsible for their implementation and securing a response to this advice,
- Providing technical assistance on how to mainstream equality and achieve equality outcomes to the relevant authorities responsible for their implementation,
- Contributing to the enhancement of equality data collection and analysis, and
- Preparing, submitting, and having considered national shadow reports on the progress made on their implementation.
