Written question asked by Anne Main (Conservative) on Tuesday, 2 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 March 2010. It was answered by Shahid Malik (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 April 2010 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Government have to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Answer: The Government are working to build a fairer, more equal society, where a person's chances and opportunities in life are determined solely by their talent and effort—not by their class, gender, religion or race. We are tackling race inequality by enforcing the strong legal framework, promoting clear leadership in public bodies and focusing work on race across Government.To mark the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March, on 22 March the British embassy in Bucharest hosted an event for NGOs, civil society and the media on anti-discrimination and tackling racism. Ambassador Robin Barnett and the Romanian Minister for Education both spoke at this event.On 19 March, ambassador Peter Gooderham, the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, attended a screening of the film "Colour Blind" hosted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations in Geneva. During the subsequent panel discussion, ambassador Gooderham reaffirmed our commitment to tackle racism both in the UK and internationally.

Secondary information