To demonstrate and reaffirm our commitment to these principles, we're taking forward work to explore options to safeguard equality and human rights in Wales. This will begin with commencing the socioeconomic duty in Wales, as well as working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to review and strengthen the Welsh regulations for the public sector equality duty.

We're also commissioning research to explore wider options, including how we might incorporate UN conventions, including the convention on the rights of disabled people, into Welsh law. We will take an inclusive approach with regard to different aspects of equality and human rights, drawing on all available evidence, including the data from the annual population survey on ethnicity, disability status, marital status and religion that's been released this morning on the StatsWales website. And I expect this work to be complete by the end of 2020.

Commencing the socioeconomic duty—Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010—will be at the heart of the new work we're doing in this area. We know only too well that shocking levels of poverty exist across Wales and the rest of the UK, due to UK Government austerity and welfare reform measures, as the UN rapporteur Professor Philip Alston has laid out so clearly. The commencement of the socioeconomic duty, together with fair and living wages and improvements in procurement, were seen as the first phase of work on strengthening and advancing equality and human rights, being levers to tackle poverty. Also needed swiftly is practical support for people to apply current legislation and guidance, to enable them to hold agencies to account and seek redress if rights have been breached. The First Minister has also made clear his commitment to introduce legislation to embed a model of social partnership in Wales, and consolidate our social partnership work and functions within a new statutory framework.

I'm expecting rapid progress over the next few months with a view to the socioeconomic duty being commenced later this year. We will require Welsh public bodies to make decisions in a way that tackles unequal outcomes caused by socioeconomic disadvantage. This will provide a lodestar around which other options for strengthening equality and human rights in Wales can be considered. Stakeholders have already told us that it's important that we make best possible use of existing legislation and regulations. The public sector equality duty is a vital tool, and we're considering how the 2011 Welsh regulations could be strengthened. We've recently written to Welsh public bodies asking them to partner with us in this project. Initial responses were due back on 31 May, to be followed by data from their annual reports for 2017-18, which we've asked for by the end of June.

We're working closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to review the public sector equality duty regulations themselves. This will include looking at gender, disability and race pay gaps, as well as other aspects of the regulations. We're co-hosting a symposium on 11 July where this will be looked at in detail. I see this as an important strand of our overall approach to strengthening equality and human rights.

The commission has just published a series of briefings arising from the work they commissioned last year to monitor compliance with PSED in Wales. They're contacting all public bodies to meet and discuss how the commission can advise and support the sector to ensure obligations are met and inequality is tackled effectively. And I strongly recommend the take-up of this offer.

Our new framework, titled 'Action on disability: the right to independent living', was published for consultation last October and closed with 67 responses. The framework has been developed since 2017 through engagement with disabled people, under the guidance of the independent living steering group, made up of disability stakeholders and chaired by the chief executive of Disability Wales.

The new framework is rooted in the social model of disability, recognising there are organisational, attitudinal and environmental barriers to equality and inclusion, which must be removed to create a level playing field. There has been a series of stakeholder events held throughout Wales, looking at the social model of disability, which will help to inform the development of new policies and programmes.

Our approach remains cross-cutting with regard to all protected characteristics and UN conventions. In particular, we have committed to embed older people's rights across public service delivery in Wales. To achieve this, we must identify how to use rights as a practical tool to combat ageism and inequalities, and to improve the daily lives of all older people. As part of our human rights agenda, I will also be reporting on progress with Travelling Ahead, our action plan for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in Wales.

In Wales, the ongoing gender equality review has a major focus on pay gap, but we are already working to remove some of the barriers. Actions include providing childcare support, creating training opportunities, tackling discrimination and supporting women into non-traditional careers. The review recognises that intersectional factors, including disability, race and poverty, have a great impact on life outcomes. Conversely, a strong focus on gender equality has the potential to drive forward equality and fairness for everyone in Wales, including the most disadvantaged groups in our society.

I will also be reporting shortly on progress made as a result of the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015. I welcome the outcome of the Sally Challen case, in recognition of the devastating impact of coercive control. Earlier this year, Welsh Government launched a powerful campaign on the subject, called 'This is Not Love. This is Control'.

The Welsh Government is taking specific and targeted action to increase the diversity of public appointments in Wales. A diversity strategy is being developed in partnership with under-represented groups. On the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I announced £40,000 of new Welsh Government funding so that BAME community groups can mark Windrush Day, celebrating the contributions of the Windrush generation and all migrants to Welsh society, economy and history.

On 19 June 2019, Welsh Government, in partnership with Cymru'n Cofio and Race Council Cymru, will also be holding a commemorative event to mark the centenary of the 1919 race riots. Next week, I will also be reporting on progress on our 'Nation of Sanctuary—Refugee and Asylum Seeker Plan' for refugees and asylum seekers during Refugee Week. I also regard our recently published blueprints on female offending and youth justice as part of my mission to advance and safeguard equality and human rights in Wales.

I have made clear my intention to place a very high priority on advancing and safeguarding equality and human rights in Wales. As you can see, this is driving a wide range of work in relation to many aspects of equality. Dirprwy Lywydd, the action we are taking, and will take in future, sends out a strong message about the importance to Wales of equality and human rights. But, outcomes matter more than symbols. It's vital that rights are implemented in a way that gives them practical effect, so that they have a real, positive impact on the lives of the people of Wales.