Diolch, Llywydd. I welcome this debate on the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Wales impact report 2020-21. The Welsh Government has benefited for many years from a positive and productive working relationship with the EHRC's team in Wales, and this has continued through the period covered by this report, and it's reflected across many of the issues it highlights. I'd like to thank Martyn Jones for his leadership as interim chair of the Wales committee during the period covered by the impact report, and extend a warm welcome to Eryl Besse on her recent appointment as EHRC Wales commissioner. We fully share the core aim identified in the impact report, to ensure that, and I quote,

'strong equality and human rights laws protect people, and data shows what is happening to people in practice.'

During the pandemic and since, we have been taking action in many areas that demonstrates our commitment in that respect. In partnership with EHRC's Wales team, we've progressed the review of the public sector equality duty Welsh regulations. This work was paused because of COVID, but is now being taken forward as part of our response to the strengthening and advancing equality and human rights research report. The socioeconomic duty came into force in Wales on 31 March 2021, requiring relevant public bodies to place consideration of inequalities of outcomes arising from socioeconomic disadvantage at the heart of their decisions. The duty has been welcomed, and there are already examples of public bodies integrating the duty into planning and reporting frameworks.

We've worked closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission and partners to take this forward, recognising the recommendation of the commission in its 'Is Wales Fairer?' 2018 report. And as I've said, it's already informing policy development in our public services. The Welsh Government is going further. It has recognised that fair work is critical to achieving a stronger, modernised, more inclusive economy. It can assist in addressing inequality, reducing poverty, and promoting well-being. And work is continuing as we introduce the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill with the statement made by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership today, introducing new social partnership and socially responsible public procurement duties.

Our 'Advancing Gender Equality in Wales' plan provides the framework through which we'll address the changing landscape for women in Wales, and our programme for government prioritises implementation of key aspects of this plan. The pandemic has revealed society's dependence on work that is disproportionately done by women, as unpaid carers and as employees within care, social work and hospitality. The pandemic has also highlighted the brilliance of women's contribution to the scientific and clinical response.

As we move out of this crisis and into another on cost of living, it's crucial we place far stronger value on this work, which is central to our economy and our communities. To support this, a gender equality sub-group has been convened, which brings together stakeholders working on gender equality issues across Wales. Two priorities identified by the group are women's health and how unpaid care disproportionately falls to women. Our programme for government commits to strengthening and expanding the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence strategy to include a focus on violence against women in the street and workplace, as well as the home, in order to make Wales the safest place in Europe to be a women. And you will know, of course, that the 2022-26 VAWDASV national strategy was published on 24 May.

To ensure that all our work on equalities is underpinned by evidence—which is a key call from the impact report—we have established an equality evidence unit, a race disparity evidence unit, and a disability disparity evidence unit. They have a shared mission to improve the availability, quality and accessibility of evidence about individuals with protected and associated characteristics so that we fully understand the level and types of inequalities across Wales. This will enable decision makers to develop better informed policies and to assess and measure their impact, alongside, of course, helping to inform the public sector equality duties and the socioeconomic duty.

The EHRC impact report recognises the influence they exerted on the consultation leading to the new Wales transport strategy, 'Llwybr Newydd', launched for public consultation on 17 November, explaining how we plan to open our transport system to a different world. The strategy sets out a long-term vision for an accessible and sustainable transport system aiming to ensure that equality is integrated into transport planning at the highest level, rather than seeing it as a separate issue.

Colleagues, we have just announced this afternoon an 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', and also EHRC has played an important role in addressing these issues. The plan, of course, as we've discussed this afternoon, calls for zero tolerance of racism in all its forms, and identifying vision and values for an anti-racist Wales containing goals, actions, timelines and tangible outcomes, which will move us from the rhetoric on racial equality and ensure we deliver meaningful action.

We're also fully committed as a Welsh Government to supporting all disabled people in Wales. 'Locked out: liberating disabled people’s lives and rights in Wales beyond COVID-19' was published in July 2021, highlighting the inequalities that many disabled people face in Wales. In response, the disability rights taskforce has been established, bringing together people with lived experience. Welsh Government policy leads and representative organisations have identified the issues and barriers that affect the lives of many disabled people.

Our new Curriculum for Wales will play a crucial role in relation to equality; it's essential to reflect the true diversity of our population so that learners understand how this diversity has shaped modern Wales. We discussed this again this afternoon with a statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, but it's also important that the curriculum as well provides important opportunities around relationships and sexuality education.

Finally, Llywydd, the Welsh Government's response to our research into strengthening and advancing equality and human rights has now been published. I welcome the human rights tracker, one of the first in the world that's been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. We, in our research, set out the main areas that we want to take forward, including exploring options for the incorporation of UN conventions into Welsh law, such as a Welsh human rights Bill, in line with our programme for government.

But also, we are publishing a large body of evidence as part of our preparations for this year's UN review of how the UK as a whole is fulfilling its international human rights obligations—the universal periodic review. This will be the first time we've taken this step, as well as contributing to the UK state report prepared by the UK Government. Doing so is a further demonstration of our commitment to raising the profile of equality and human rights in Wales.

The EHRC's impact report provides us with an important overview of the commission's work in Wales, and clearly demonstrates the need for continued vigilance and practical action to safeguard equality and human rights in support of us all, particularly those who are at risk of being marginalised, victimised or suffering discrimination. I commend the motion.