Alex Firth, Advocacy and Communications Officer

The Welsh Government has made a series of important commitments to human rights and equality in its new Programme for Government.

It has pledged to “take forward proposals to develop human rights-based legislation for Wales”, “work towards realising a right to adequate housing in Wales”, and “work with people with lived experience to advance equality”, including LGBTQ+ equality, disabled people’s rights, gender equality and an anti-racist Wales.

Just Fair welcomes these commitments. Together, they provide an important opportunity to strengthen human rights protections in Wales and put dignity, equality and participation at the heart of public decision-making.

The commitment to a right to adequate housing is particularly significant. Housing is fundamental to people’s ability to live with dignity and enjoy their other rights. Yet for too many people, housing remains insecure, unaffordable or inadequate.

Recognising housing as a human right can help shift the focus from responding to housing problems once they reach crisis point towards preventing them in the first place.

Tai Pawb, a Welsh housing charity, and Just Fair’s UK ESCR Network member, said that “the Programme for Government is an important moment in the new Welsh Government’s early months as they set out how they will tackle some of Wales’ most persistent challenges. A good, safe home is foundational to a healthy and hopeful life, and we are pleased to see recognition for this from Welsh Government.”

A human rights-based approach also means paying attention to who is most affected by inequality, addressing discrimination and ensuring that people have a meaningful say in decisions that affect their lives. The commitment to work with people with lived experience provides an important foundation for doing this.

The detail will matter. New human rights legislation should be ambitious, provide meaningful routes to accountability and ensure that economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to adequate housing, are properly protected.

The development of these proposals should also involve meaningful and sustained participation from civil society and the people and communities whose rights the legislation is intended to protect.

Just Fair welcomes these commitments and looks forward to working with partners across Wales to help turn them into meaningful rights and lasting change.

Backgorund image by Nanda Mentesheva for Fine Acts