Ombudsman

Cyprus Equality Body Intervention: Beach Access for Persons with Disabilities

On 29 June 2020, EQUINET, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of Directive 2000/43/EC, in collaboration with the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the Croatian Presidency of the Council of Europe, held an online conference on the Promotion and Protection of Equality as a fundamental value of the European Union.

The conference was attended by representatives of EQUINET, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the Croatian Presidency, as well as the Commissioner for Equality of the European Commission, Mrs Helena Dalli. The conference focused on the importance of the Directive and the important role that Equality Bodies have played over time in the promotion and implementation of the provisions of the Directive.

On the occasion of the conference, a special website was created to promote good practices related to the promotion of equality and the fight against discrimination by Equality Bodies.

In this context, EQUINET chose to showcase as an example of good practice the contribution of the Commissioner as the Equality Body in ensuring the accessibility of people with disabilities to the beaches and, in particular, her relevant Report and the developments that followed towards the implementation of her recommendations made therein (Cyprus Equality Body Intervention: Beach Access for Persons with Disabilities).

In the video, the President of the Cyprus Paraplegics Organization (OPAK) Mr Demetris Lambrianides and an Officer of our Office describe the importance of the Commissioner’s intervention, as the Equality Body, in improving the accessibility of the disabled to the beaches, as well as the wider catalytic importance of the Commissioner’s interventions in the promotion of human rights of all the disabled people.

The specific campaign, including the audiovisual material prepared by our Office, was widely covered by social media and our Office’s website as well as the media.

Relevant video HERE

References to Commissioner's Inteventions as an Equality body HERE

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Cooperation with International / European Institutions

Cyprus Equality Body Intervention: Beach Access for Persons with Disabilities