Equinet Executive Board 2015-2017: K. Beker, P. Charlier, E. Collins, E. Lier Haugseth, S. Konstatzky, K. Lykovardi, P. Polak, A. Blaszczak (missing S. Benichou)

The current Members of the Equinet Executive Board for the 2015-2017 period are:

• Evelyn COLLINS (Chair), Chief Executive, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland
• Kosana BEKER, Assistant to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, Commissioner for Protection of Equality, Serbia
• Sarah BENICHOU, Head of ‘Access to Rights and Discriminations’ Unit, Defender of Rights, France
• Anna BŁASZCZAK, Deputy Director of the Department of Equal Treatment and Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Human Rights Defender, Poland
• Patrick CHARLIER, Acting Director, Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities, Belgium
• Sandra KONSTATZKY, Deputy Director, Ombud for Equal Treatment, Austria
• Elisabeth LIER HAUGSETH, Head of Law Enforcement Department, The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud, Norway
• Kalliopi LYKOVARDI, Coordinator of Anti-Discrimination Unit, Greek Ombudsman, Greece
• Petr POLAK, Head of the Division of Equal Treatment, Public Defender of Rights, Czech Republic

All of the Executive Board members and the Treasurer execute their tasks pro bono.

The Executive Board operates on the basis of the workplan and budget agreed by the Equinet members and discusses and takes decisions on the management and operational structure for the period of their mandate.

Illustration of Equinet Governance

Text version of the infographic above:

The main decisions concerning the general steering of Equinet are taken by the General Assembly of Members (GA) that is made up of all the current members of the network, and is convened at least once a year for an Annual General Meeting (AGM). The GA:

• ratifies new members into the network
• elects representatives on the Executive Board every two years
• takes decisions on the strategic direction of the network by participating in the development, reviewing and voting on the annual Work Plan for the next year prepared and proposed by the Executive Board
• is entitled to amend the statutes of the organisation and to approve budgets and accounts.

During the course of the year, the GA delegates the management and the administration of the network to the Executive Board. The latter devises the strategy for implementing the work plan for the year, ensures that the means are in place to guarantee the effectiveness and sustainability of the network and acts in the best interest of the network and its members throughout the year.

From left to right: Tena ŠIMONOVIĆ EINWALTER, Evelyn COLLINS, Michiel BONTE, Therese SPITERI, Néphèli YATROPOULOS, Sandra RIBEIRO, István HALLER, Mari-Liis SEPPER, Anna BŁASZCZAK

The Members of the Equinet Executive Board for the 2013-2015 period were:

• Evelyn COLLINS (Chair)
  Chief Executive
  Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland
• Kosana BEKER
  Assistant to the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Serbia
• Anna BŁASZCZAK
  Deputy Director of the Constitutional and International Law Department
  Human Rights Defender, Poland
• István HALLER
  Member of the Steering Board
  National Council for Combating Discrimination, Romania
• Mari-Liis SEPPER
  Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner, Estonia
• Tena ŠIMONOVIĆ EINWALTER
  Deputy Ombudswoman
  Office of the Ombudsman, Croatia
• Néphèli YATROPOULOS
  Advisor to the Defender on European and International Affairs
  Defender of Rights, France
  
  Former Board Members for the 2013-2015 period:
• Michiel BONTE
  Former Head of Service - Discrimination Department
  Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities, Belgium (resigned in May 2015)
• Sandra RIBEIRO
  Former President
  Commission for Equality in Labour and Employment, Portugal (resigned in January 2015)
  

Equinet’s Treasurer was Therese SPITERI, Manager at the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality in Malta. The Board also had a Board Advisor in Niall Crowley (independent expert on equality issues).