Jane Hutt MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
Human rights, equality, solidarity and dignity are core values in Welsh society, reflected in our constitutional settlement and laws. Our core belief is that human rights belong to us all, as encapsulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights just after World War II. We recognise that those principles and values are just as important today as they were then. Our modern approach is reflected in the Wellbeing of Future Generations and the Government of Wales Acts which ensure that equality of opportunity, human rights and wellbeing are at the centre of policy making, now and into the future.
Within this context, today we launch the Welsh Government Strategic Equality and Human Rights Plan 2025-2029. The Strategic Equality and Human Rights Plan plays a coordinating role in centralising and bringing together our commitment to taking forward our National Equality Objectives (NEOs) and Long-term Aim – Wales is a nation based on equity, anti-discrimination, and inclusion, through strengthening and advancing equality and human rights. It also reinforces our commitment to raising awareness of everyone’s human rights, and how they can exercise those rights.
The Strategic Equality and Human Rights Plan draws together current equalities and human rights commitments in a cohesive and integrated framework, while allowing more tailored action to be driven by Action Plans which are more directly focussed on specific protected characteristic groups.
These Action Plans include our internationally recognised Anti-racist Wales Action Plan and LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales and the recently published draft Disabled People’s Rights Plan, under consultation. Each of our plans has specific actions that will contribute to the delivery of our Long-Term Aim and NEOs which, in turn, are focussed on improving the lives and opportunities for those facing the greatest barriers in Wales.
The approach within the Strategic Equality and Human Rights Plan reflects our commitment to provide more effective delivery of equality and human rights across Welsh Government which, in turn, will deliver the improved outcomes we are committed to delivering.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Royal Assent of the Equality Act 2010.
Welsh Government welcomes the great strides taken to strengthen and advance equality in the UK driven by the enactment of the Equality Act. We are determined as a government to make life better for all, providing equality of opportunity and better outcomes. The Strategic Equality and Human Rights Plan is one way in which we are making this a reality now and in the future.
Statutory Requirements
This Written Statement relates to the fulfilment of the statutory requirement to publish National Equality Objectives (NEOs) 2024 to 2028 linked to a Strategic Equality and Human Rights Plan (formerly the Strategic Equality Plan). The duty to publish equality objectives are set out in regulation 3 of the Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011, made under section 153 of the Equality Act 2010. Welsh Government published its equality objectives, “the National Equality Objectives” on 18 March 2024.