Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome the opportunity today to discuss the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s annual review for 2015-16, which is entitled ‘Towards a Fairer Wales’.

The review captures the wide range of the work the commission has undertaken in the past year to promote equality in Wales and presents a forward look of its priorities. The EHRC has a unique role as a regulator of the public sector equality duty and the specific duties for Wales. The annual review provides many examples of good practice that have resulted from those duties and demonstrates the positive impact they are having in Wales.

It’s been another significant year for the commission. The publication of ‘Is Wales Fairer?’ in particular has had an important impact on the way inequality is addressed here in Wales. The report highlights the progress made in Wales to advance equality since the commission published its review ‘How Fair is Wales?’ five years ago. It outlines where improvements are needed and identifies seven key equality and human rights challenges that need to be addressed in Wales over the next five years.

The commission has also issued these challenges to all public, private and third sector organisations in Wales and we all have a role in tackling inequality and we should continue to work together where we can address these issues.

The commission wanted ‘Is Wales Fairer?’ to be a catalyst for change, and we have the same aspiration for our refreshed equality objectives, which we published in March 2016. Our objectives were developed following extensive engagement with people across Wales, and they’re strongly linked with the challenges identified in ‘Is Wales Fairer?’ Public authorities are setting equality objectives based on these key challenges, and the report is therefore inspiring a joint approach to address the major equality-related issues impacting on the lives of many people here in Wales.

I know the EHRC strongly favours collaborative working, and this is reflected in their eagerness to work with the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales to shape the equality and human rights agenda. The EHRC has welcomed the appointment of the commissioner and I look forward to working together to help make Wales a more equal and cohesive nation.

We recognise the commission’s commitment to encourage, inform and monitor the public sector, examples of which can be seen throughout their annual review, and the commission has recently produced a report that encourages employers in Wales to increase employment opportunities for Muslims and people of all religions by developing faith-friendly places in work. It is important that we in Wales lead the way to put in place practical measures in the workplace to attract, support and retain talented people of all faiths.

In September, I attended the launch event of the ‘Creating a faith-friendly workplace for Muslims’ publication and the accompanying short film, ‘Fairness Not Favours’. This was an excellent example of the information and well-attended events organised by the commission during the year 2015-16.

The commission’s equality and human rights exchange has continued to go from strength to strength. The exchange brings together employers and public service providers to share knowledge, good practice and new ideas. The regional events have provided a valuable forum for members to discuss a range of subjects.

The EHRC’s highly regarded annual human rights lecture is another fixture in the calendar for equality and human rights practitioners here in Wales, and the Reverend Aled Edwards delivered this year’s lecture, which focuses on the experiences of asylum seekers, migrants and refugees in Wales. This, of course, continues to be a timely and challenging topic, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the upcoming Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee’s inquiry into refugees and asylum seekers here in Wales.

We will work closely with the EHRC and we remain grateful for the advice and evidence it provides to the Welsh Government. This relationship assists us in the development of policy, and, as we have seen very clearly with our new equality objectives, the 2014 concordat between EHRC and Welsh Government provided a foundation for the relationship, and we have continued to build on this. It is important that EHRC remains a strong and distinct presence here in Wales, and particularly as we’re entering an uncertain time for equality and human rights here in the UK. We’re keeping a very close eye on the UK Government’s plans to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a Bill of rights, and the human rights Act protects us all regardless of our economic, social or cultural background. The Welsh Government greatly values an inclusive piece of legislation, one which allows the people of Wales to challenge inequality and injustice.

We strongly oppose any potential regression of our human rights, and we will do all we can to ensure the rights presently enjoyed by all people living in Wales are not weakened by the proposals by the UK Government. We expect the UK Government to fulfil its commitment and fully consult on any proposals affecting any human rights.

In summary, the EHRC’s annual review provides a valuable overview of the wide and varied work of the commission over the last year, for which I’m very grateful. I am sure this will be reflected in the diverse range of subjects discussed during this debate, and this demonstrates that equality and human rights are relevant to all aspects of our daily lives, and, as a consequence, an essential component in developing a united, connected and sustainable Wales.