Workshop: Equality bodies contributing to national equality strategies – focus on NAPARs and Roma strategic frameworks
This workshop was held 14 April, aimed at equality body staff, representatives of EU institutions & national authorities, and relevant civil society organisations. The event discussed the role equality bodies in the development, implementation and monitoring of national strategies or action plans focusing on NAPARs and Roma strategic frameworks.
Equality bodies are central to the national equality infrastructure and are, therefore, expected to play a central role in the development, implementation and monitoring of these national strategies. The EU Roma Strategic Framework and the Council Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation include particularly detailed expectations concerning the role of equality bodies and they expected all Member States to adopt national Roma strategic frameworks by September 2021. Similarly, the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan underlines the important role of equality bodies and expects all Member States to develop and adopt national action plans against racism (NAPARs) by the end of 2022.
Capacity-building, planning, peer exchange and enhancing the resources of equality bodies will be key for equality bodies to engage effectively with national equality strategies. This online workshop will discuss the most effective and useful ways for equality bodies to contribute to strategies already in place as well as those under development.
OBJECTIVES
This event:
- Discussed the role equality bodies can play in the development, implementation and monitoring of national strategies or action plans and share good practices, focusing on NAPARs and Roma strategic frameworks;
- Discussed what tools equality bodies would need to further strengthen their involvement and contributions to national equality strategies.
- Identified how equality bodies, civil society, national authorities and European institutions can cooperate to successfully implement the EU Equality Strategies.
FORMAT
The workshop took place online in the form of a 2.5-hour interactive discussion session.
| SETTING THE SCENE | The EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025 and national action plans against racism (NAPARs)
Michaela Moua, European Commission coordinator for anti-racism Birgit Van Hout, Regional Representative for Europe, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) |
| Session 1 | NAPARs in action and the role of equality bodies
Dr. Iris Elliott, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Julie Pascoet, European Network against Racism (ENAR) Katriina Nousiainen, Ministry of Justice, Finland Q&A |
| SETTING THE SCENE: The EU Roma Strategic Framework and national Roma strategic frameworks for equality, inclusion and participation
Dan Pavel Doghi, European Commission DG Justice and Consumers Andrey Ivanov, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) |
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Session 2 | National Roma strategic frameworks in action and the role of equality bodies Rainer Stocker, Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency, Germany István Haller, National Council for Combating Discrimination, Romania Triantafillos Loukarelis, National Office against Racial Discrimination, Italy Isabela Mihalache, ERGO Network Q&A |
| Concluding session
Dan Pavel Doghi, European Commission DG Justice and Consumers Tamás Kádár, Equinet |