ANNUAL EQUALITY STATEMENT

Year end 31 March 2001

The Committee’s Draft Equality Scheme states that the Committee will review both the action taken during the year to promote equality of opportunity and the progress of the implementation of the Equality Scheme.

Our Committment

The Committee re-affirms its commitment to the fulfillment of its duties under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 in that it will have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity –

• between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age marital status or sexual orientation;

• between men and woman generally;

• between persons with a disability and persons without;

• and

• between persons with dependants and persons without.

In addition, without prejudice to its obligations above, NILGOSC shall, in carrying out its functions, have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.

Promotion of Equality of Opportunity

NILGOSC has demonstrated its commitment to the promotion of equality of opportunity during 2000/2001 by its support from the most senior levels of the organisation.

This included the personal statement made by the Chairman and Secretary as the foreword to the Draft Equality Scheme, the allocation of all necessary resources to satisfy the s75 duties in the light of competing demands, the personal contribution by the Secretary to staff training, the inclusion of equality issues in the corporate plan, and the adoption of equality issues as normal business considerations.

Implementation of the Equality Scheme

During the year NILGOSC issued its draft Equality Scheme to over 250 organisations and individuals for consultation. As a result of this exercise it amended its draft scheme which was submitted in July 2000 to the Equality Commission for approval. The Scheme was subsequently approved in May 2001.

A copy of the revised Scheme, as submitted to the Commission, was issued to all consultees in August 2000. In October, all members, deferred pensioners and pensioners (over 65,000 in total) received a copy of the Summary of the Equality Scheme.

As part of the exercise to ensure meaningful consultation, a small Consultative Group, consisting of volunteer members and pensioners drawn from across Northern Ireland was set up. Feedback was obtained on the content of the Summary Equality Scheme.

Specific training for senior managers was undertaken during the year. NILGOSC also organised a successful conference for all of its staff entitled ’Equality and our public sector responsibilities’ at which a number of guest speakers made presentations.

Finally, NILGOSC set up a working group from amongst its staff to draft a Good Relations policy. As part of its research the Group undertook an audit of the status of Good Relations within the organisation.