Bodies for the promotion of equal treatment (Article 13 Directive 2000/43)

• Author: Guomundsdottir, Guorun D.
• Pages: 50-55

50

7 BODIES FOR THE PROMOTION OF EQUAL TREATMENT (Article 13 Directive

2000/43)

a) Body/bodies designated for the promotion of equal treatment irrespective of

racial/ethnic origin according to Article 13 of the Racial Equality Directive

Common Article 5 of the Equality Acts charges the Centre for Equality (formerly the Centre

for Gender Equality) with implementation of the Acts, in accordance with Article 4 of the

Gender Equality Act, as applicable, including paragraphs 5-11 on per diem fines.

The tasks handled by the Centre for Equality include:

• monitoring the application of the Acts;

• supervising educational and informative activities;

• advising government authorities, institutions, companies, non-governmental

organisations and individuals on equality issues;

• making suggestions and proposals to the Prime Minister and other government

authorities on measures to achieve equality;

• making proposals on affirmative action;

• increasing the level of activity on inequality issues;

• monitoring equality developments in society by gathering information and

• initiating research;

• working against wage discrimination and other forms of discrimination in the labour

market;

• mediating cases of dispute referred to the Centre for Equality on the basis of the

Acts; and

• carrying out other tasks in line with the aims of the Acts in accordance with further

decisions by the Minister.

Institutions, enterprises and non-governmental organisations are obliged to provide the

Centre with any information necessary for its operations. The Centre can impose per diem

fines if its requests for information or recommendations or the rulings of the Equality

Complaints Committee are not complied with.

If the Centre has reason to suspect that an institution, enterprise or non-governmental

organisation has violated the Acts, it shall investigate whether there is reason to request

the independent Equality Complaints Committee to examine the matter. See chapter 7(h)

for a detailed description of the Committee, its powers and procedure.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman may deal with equality and/or discrimination in relation to

administrative procedure. No human rights commission is in place.

The Icelandic Human Rights Centre, an NGO, has assumed many of the functions of a

national human rights institution (NHRI), albeit without the relevant powers, independence

and financing being established by statute. In July 2016, the Ministry of the Interior opened

a consultation on a draft bill on the establishment of an Icelandic NHRI on its website, in

the context of the then proposed Equality Acts, but this work petered out.

A special Multicultural Centre, established by the state, is charged with facilitating

communications between individuals of different backgrounds and enhancing the services

provided to foreign citizens residing in Iceland and to those interested in moving to Iceland.

The Multicultural Centre assists those seeking information about daily life in Iceland,

provides information about the administration and is of service to foreign citizens moving

to or from the country.