Commissions update Assembly Committee for the Executive Office on Equality and Human Rights Protections post-Brexit

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), along with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), today briefed the Assembly Committee for the Executive Office on their ongoing work on ensuring the protection of equality and human rights following Brexit.

The ECNI Chief Commissioner, Geraldine McGahey, OBE; NIHRC Chief Commissioner, Les Allamby: and IHREC Commissioner, Michael Finucane gave oral evidence to the Committee and took part in a question and answer session with Committee members.

As part of the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK Government made a commitment to ensure that certain equality and human rights in Northern Ireland will not be diminished as a result of Brexit. From 1st January 2021, the ECNI and the NIHRC have new roles and responsibilities to ensure that this commitment is upheld.

During the meeting, the ECNI and NIHRC updated the Committee on the wide range of work that they have been progressing since the start of the year, including their legal, policy, research, and communications and engagement work.

The three Commissions also provided further details to the Committee on how they have been working closely and constructively together to progress work on all island oversight arrangements relating to rights and equalities issues falling within the scope of the commitment that have an island of Ireland dimension.

The Commissions will continue to work closely together and collectively with partner organisations, stakeholders, interested groups and the wider public to ensure the ongoing protection of equality and human rights in a post-Brexit Northern Ireland.