As part of our project supporting civil society to be part of the upcoming United Nations (UN)’ human rights review of the UK, and in response to our call for evidence, we received over 70 submissions on a range of issues from civil society groups and individuals.

There is only three months to go until the publication of our final report and its submission to the UN.  In the lead up, we are sharing some key highlights from evidence we have received for this important review.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we are focusing on the evidence of how Black people and people of colour experience violations of their economic, social and cultural rights. For example:

• Poverty: multiple groups highlighted the ways in which Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis have worsened pre-existing poverty and structural inequalities for Black communities and people of colour.
• Education: Black students face high levels of discrimination within the education system and are more likely to be permanently excluded. Black communities are also underrepresented in the education sector and within the curriculum.
• Work: migrants and asylum seekers, overwhelmingly people of colour, face routine discrimination, sometimes not having the right to work, which impacts their dignity and freedom.

We received submissions from groups of all sizes including small organisations and covering a range of places. 

In England, the Black South West Network provided evidence on how people of colour in Bristol experience violations of their right to adequate housing, including overcrowding and security. In Wales, Race Equality First raised the issue of the employment rate for people of colour in Wales, which remains lower than the rate for the White population. People of colour also remain more likely to be in poorer paid and more precarious work.

The theme of this year’s Black History Month is ‘time for change: action not words’, and this could not be more appropriate given the focus of our project. 

We will be using this vital evidence on how Black people and people of colour experience some of the worst violations of economic, social and cultural rights to hold the UK and Welsh Governments accountable on their international human rights obligations.

Learn more about the project here.