Britain is failing to tackle racial inequalities
Today (2nd August 2016), a group of organisations, co-ordinated by the Runnymede Trust, will travel to the UN in Geneva to address the UK government’s response to racial inequalities and discrimination. They argue that the UK government’s current colour-blind approach has no evidence of reducing racial inequalities and that the government may therefore be failing to comply with its responsibilities as a signatory to the UN treaty, the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
In response, the UK government under Prime Minister Theresa May needs to take responsibility for making Britain a more racially-equal society, by implementing a wide-ranging race equality strategy and by transposing the UN Convention (in full) into UK law.
Race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust compiled the 83-page report, which is published a day before CERD takes evidence from non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) in Geneva. The submission to the UN calls on the UK Government to take action on institutional and individual racism, which is in the public eye following an upsurge in racism after Brexit.
Dr Omar Khan, Director of the Runnymede Trust who is giving evidence to CERD in Geneva, called on Theresa May to coordinate efforts on race equality following her remarks on the steps of Downing Street condemning discrimination.
NGOs call on the UK Government to:
- Adopt a race equality strategy to tackle long-standing inequalities in UK society, across criminal justice, education, employment, health, housing and political participation,
- This strategy should include what the UN calls ‘specific measures’ for ‘vulnerable groups’ such as Black people in the criminal justice system and labour market and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups in education and health.
- Establish an independent review of the Prevent duty to address the possible conflict with equality and human rights laws, providing a clear definition of extremism’ to end the disproportionate targeting of Muslim school children;
Dr Omar Khan, Director of the Runnymede Trust, said:“Our review of the state of race equality in Britain shows there are many areas of persistent and widespread inequality that require urgent action driven by political will at the top of Government. As we seek to develop new trade relationships the UK needs to demonstrate it has its act in order on tackling racism or risk international embarrassment.
“In this post-Brexit world we must safeguard the rights of BME citizens by fully incorporating the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination into British law. We therefore call on Theresa May to lead from the front and drive through the changes needed to make Britain more racially equal".
Click here to download the new report, www.runnymedetrust.org
