Equinet High-Level Meeting between Heads of National Equality Bodies and European Institutions

'Realising the Potential of National Equality Bodies'

Equinet has organized a second high-level meeting with Heads of National Equality Bodies encouraged by and building on the success and added-value of a previous high level meeting (in March 2009 in Brussels) with the participation of the heads of national equality bodies, European Commissioner (Vladimir Špidla) and Members of the European Parliament.

This half-day interactive Equinet high-level meeting with heads of national equality bodies provided a unique opportunity to discuss with key European stakeholders the most pertinent questions related to the promotion of equality and the effective role of equality bodies including those important developments in the legal and policy sphere that influence and provide a background to the work of national equality bodies.

Key contributions and participation

1) Equality bodies - Heads and senior representatives of National Equality Bodies; Equinet Executive Board Member
	2) European Commission - Lina Papamichalopoulou (Keynote Speaker), Head of Unit D4 , Non discrimination policies and Roma coordination (Directorate General Justice)
	3) Council of Europe - Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights
	4) European Group of National Human Rights Institutions - Alan Miller (Keynote Speaker), Chair of the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and of the Scottish Human Rights Commission
5) Other relevant stakeholders - including EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), European Ombudsman, European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism (ECRI), etc.

Agenda and Summary Report

You can read the Summary Report of the meeting here, while the agenda can be downloaded here.

Related publications

• Equinet report Between Impartiality and Responsiveness: Equality Bodies and Practices of Independence
• Council of Europe - Opinion of the Commissioner for human rights on national structures for promoting equality  
• Study on Equality Bodies set up under Directives 2000/43/EC, 2004/113/EC and 2006/54/EC
• European Commission - Report on the application of Directive 2002/73/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 September 2002 amending Council Directive 76/207/EEC on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions