Coordination at national level

• Author: Kamenska, Anhelita
• Pages: 87-89

87

9 COORDINATION AT NATIONAL LEVEL

Following the transposition of the anti-discrimination directives and since the closure of

the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Integration Affairs (SSAMIA) on

1 January 2009, there has been no national authority coordinating issues regarding anti-

discrimination.

The Ministry of Welfare is responsible for issues relating to discrimination in the fields of

employment relationships, social security, children and family affairs, as well as in

relation to equal opportunities regarding disabled persons and gender equality, thus

covering the grounds of gender, disability and age.

Tasks and obligations in relation to social integration have been handed over to different

ministries, eventually ending up with the Department for Social Integration Affairs within

the Ministry of Culture (MoC). The regulations governing the MoC do not explicitly

mention anti-discrimination functions, however t he competence of the MoC in the realm

of social integration and the promotion of civil society in 2018 includes a role ‘to ensure

the observance of the rights of minorities, including Roma, by facilitating the elimination

of racial and ethnic discrimination.’ The Ombudsman’s Office has not assumed a national

coordinating role on non-discrimination issues.

There is no national action plan on anti-discrimination or anti-racism, but the

Government has adopted several framework documents and action plans for the

implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its

Additional Protocol. In September 2013, the Government approved th e framework

document for 2014-2020.282

The Framework Document on Guidelines on National Identity, Civil Society and Social

Integration Policy 2012-2018283 includes a brief paragraph on anti-discrimination, citing

that an institutional mechanism and an anti-discrimination legislative framework have

been developed, while discrimination often remains unrecognised and unpunished.

On 17 July 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the National Identity, Civil Society

and Integration Policy Implementation Plan for 2019–2020284 drawn up by the Ministry of

Culture. In the area of anti-discrimination, the Plan focuses on gender, age, disability and

ethnic discrimination. It envisages the continuation of awareness-raising activities for

employers and employees on di scrimination prevention issu es (training 50 person s per

year), as well as motivation and support services, the launch of an anti-discrimination

social campaign and other activities.

The Ministry of Welfare prepared t he 2015-2017 Implementation Plan for the Guidelines

for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities 2014-2020.285 On 15 December 2015, the plan was approved by the

282 Cabinet of Ministers (2013), Guidelines for implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights

of Persons with Disabilities 2014 -2020 (Apvienoto Nciju Organizcijas Konvencijas par personu ar

invaliditti tiesbm stenošanas pa matnostdnes 2014.–2020.gadam), 22.11.2013, available in Latv ian at:

http://www.lm.gov.lv/upload/2013junijs/lmpam n_040613_inv.pdf.

283 Cabinet of Ministers (2013), Guidelines on National Identity, Civil Participation and Society Integration

2012-2018 (Nacionls identittes, pilsonisks sabiedr bas un sabiedrbas integrcijas politikas

pamatnostdnes 2012.-2018.gadam).

284 Cabinet of Ministers (2018), National Identity, Civil Society and Inte gration Policy Implementation Plan for

2019 – 2020 (Nacionls identittes, pilso nisks sabiedrbas un integrcijas poltiikas stenošanas plans

2019. – 2020. gadam), available in Latvian at: www.likumi.lv/ta/id/300483-par-nacio nalas-identitates-

pilsoniskas-sabiedribas-un-integracijas-politik as-istenosanas-planu-2019-2020-gadam.

285 Ministry of Welfare (2015), ‘2015-2017 Implementation Plan for the Guidelines for implementation of the

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2014-2020’ (Paskumu p lns

nkamajiem gadiem ANO Konvencijas par personu ar invaliditti ties bm stenošanai Latvij), 15 December