Equality and Human Rights Commission to make a fairer Britain

The Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) will be responsible for challenging discrimination across society and, for the first time, will promote human rights and will replace the existing equality commissions: the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disabilities Rights Commission.

It will also take responsibility for new laws outlawing workplace discrimination on religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.

The White Paper sets out in detail the proposed vision, functions, powers and governance arrangements for the new CEHR. It outlines the work the new body will be expected to carry out to support key stakeholders and how its work will be implemented.

Lord Falconer said: "For the first time, we will have one, single body whose job it is to uphold and enhance the rights of all members of our community."

The new CEHR is intended to help businesses by:

• working to prevent costly tribunal cases by helping tackle the causes of discrimination and promoting awareness of equality issues;
• allowing employers go to one organisation for advice rather than many, saving them time and money;
• providing institutional support for human rights for the first time through its duty to promote human rights and its power to intervene as a third party;
• having a regional presence among communities and be more responsive to local concerns rather than maintain a single distant HQ.
• The decision to create a single equality body was announced in October 2003.