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The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has submitted a new report to the United Nations, assessing the UK government’s progress on its human rights commitments to eliminate racial discrimination.  

The EHRC submitted its independent report and recommendations for improvement in May 2026 as part of a follow-up review by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).  

Following the last full review of UK compliance with the CERD convention in 2024, the Committee had particular concerns about three areas: the right to peaceful assembly, the Windrush generation and counter-terrorism measures. They asked the UK government to provide evidence of action in these areas.

Among the findings in the report, the EHRC – the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) for England and Wales – noted:

Right to peaceful assembly

• the expansion of police powers in recent legislation – including the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, the Public Order Act 2023 and the Crime and Policing Act 2026 – has placed cumulative restrictions on people’s right to protest
• there is a lack of data held by the UK government about police misconduct at protests and its impact on ethnic minorities
• existing legislation and any related future legislation should be amended to explicitly reflect that the government has a positive duty to ensure everyone can peacefully protest

Windrush generation

• the government has simplified the Windrush Compensation Scheme, however research shows most claimants are receiving less compensation than they are entitled to
• the government should publish independent analysis of the compensation scheme’s performance and explain why applications for the scheme are significantly lower than expected
• the government should increase funding for the Windrush Compensation Advocacy Support Fund so those eligible can access free legal aid if they need

Counter-terrorism measures

• the government has introduced reforms and new oversight mechanisms for Prevent, and there has been a learning review and a report by Lord Anderson, the Independent Prevent Commissioner  
• the government should ensure robust oversight mechanisms for Prevent to monitor whether the duty is being used in a discriminatory way
• the government should publish disaggregated data on Prevent referrals, including on race, ethnicity, religion and nationality

The Committee will review the follow-up reports for the UK at its next session in August 2026. This procedure helps to hold the UK government to account on its international human rights commitments, including eliminating all forms of racial discrimination.  

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:  

“No matter your race, nationality or ethnicity, everyone has the right to be treated equally before the law. This is fundamental to our democracy. That’s why it is baked into our human rights legislation and why, as a National Human Rights Institution, we will continue to make sure it is protected.

“We have examined the UK government’s action in line with the key areas of concern raised by the UN CERD. Now that we have submitted our independent report, we urge the government to consider and implement our recommendations so they can make better progress towards eliminating racial discrimination and protect everyone’s rights.” 

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